LeBron James will start his 21st NBA season in a couple of months, and the level of production he has shown in his late 30s is unprecedented for a basketball player.
He averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game this past season while steadying the ship until a couple of midseason trades transformed the Los Angeles Lakers into title contenders. He did so despite dealing with foot ailments for a good portion of the season.
James is seemingly redefining what is possible for athletes that have an insane amount of wear and tear. Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas sees it differently; he believes the four-time MVP is putting pressure on others, especially those that don’t age well.
Via Lakers Daily:
“It just puts so much pressure on people,” Arenas said. “The fact that he’s 39, doing what he’s doing, makes 30 seem like you’re a rookie. Now we have a glimpse of what 38 and 39 is capable of doing, which means when players are looking like they’re slowing down at 31, 32, I don’t know how we accept that anymore.”
James will turn 39 in late December. Still, it likely wouldn’t surprise many people if he put together yet another MVP-caliber campaign this season.
