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Whether you're a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers or not, every hoops fan is bound to hear about just how old LeBron James is.
Maybe your favorite team is playing the purple and gold one night or you happen to catch a glimpse of a friend's social media post. But one way or another, LeBron James playing in his 19th season and being a 37-year-old dominating a league filled with guys nearly half his age is going to be mentioned.
With each passing game, it seems like LeBron James is setting some new record as the oldest to do this or that. He did that once again in a dominant showing against the Portland Trail Blazers: 43 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, 37 years of age.
During the postgame press conference, the Lakers star was asked about exactly that after the win, on what it was like breaking all these old-man records.
“I don't feel like I've been in the league 19 years. When I'm daily reminded of it, I feel it sometimes. When I wake up in the morning and I'm reminded every single day ‘Year 19, Year 19'.
LeBron broke a few of them against the Blazers, matching Michael Jordan in a couple of them too. He joined the Chicago Bulls legend as the only two players above 35 years old to score 40 while having zero turnovers in a game. He also became the 4th oldest player to drop a 40-10 game, in a four-man list that includes Jordan, Karl Malone and fellow Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“I literally try to prepare my mind, my body, and my soul on how I can stay young in a young man's game. Jay-Z has an unbelievable song ‘Forever Young' and it's about always just keeping your mind, manifesting young things, thoughts in your mind. But also at the same time, keeping up with the young pack. The people that's always trying to chase you or the people that kind of say that you're too old to be at this stage still.”
It gets harder and harder to appreciate LeBron James as his career continues to evolve. We've just expected greatness out of him since Day 1. But every once in a while he puts on another special performance that has you taking a step back to admire what he's laid out before us all – a potential GOAT who continues to defy Father Time.
“Sometimes you do have to remind people that you can still do what you do at a high level. I'm going to continue to put the work in cause that's what it all boils down to. Everything else is going to take care of itself.”
Hard to imagine that others who've reached this advanced age haven't put the work in like LeBron James has. That's not a slight towards the Lakers star, but a mere statement of fact. Basketball players just aren't supposed to look this good at this age. King James is just built different.
LeBron James is peaking exactly when the Lakers need him to. While the wins haven't come easy and often despite his best efforts, his efforts are still worth appreciating all the same.
