LeBron James is now the NBA’s all-time scoring king, as he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Tuesday night to move into first place in career points.
It is an amazing accomplishment, especially when one looks at it from all angles.
Although James has a career scoring average of 27.2 points per game and is putting up 30.2 points a contest this season, some do not consider him to be a pure scorer.
In terms of scoring, several of the other all-time greats on James’ level were more skilled than him. Michael Jordan was a powerful finisher and had his trademark fadeaway jumper, Kobe Bryant could do it all, Larry Bird was a lethal shooter who also had a killer fadeaway shot and Abdul-Jabbar had the skyhook, the greatest single shot or move in league history.
But James had surpassed them all in career points, and he has done so because he has also surpassed everyone in the longevity department.
He is still playing at an incredible level in his 20th season and at age 38, despite an insane amount of wear and tear that has resulted from 10 trips to the NBA Finals. Abdul-Jabbar won a championship series MVP at the same age, but his overall level of play wasn’t quite where James’ production is now.
A look at the work James puts towards keeping himself in optimal physical condition
The Akron, Ohio native has made it happen with a total commitment to his physical fitness and wellness. He reportedly spends over $1 million a year to keep his body right and has taken full advantage of the wonders of modern medical science.
All year long, he is diligent about the various aspects of his health and fitness to make sure he maintains as much of his abilities as possible, despite his advanced age and mileage.
38,388 points…
Last night LeBron James hit this milestone to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record
Making him the highest scoring player in NBA history 👑
Let’s break down LeBron’s $1.5m/year nutrition & training regimens that powered his body to this record pic.twitter.com/M1k1DEpeEk
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
Whether you like basketball or not you have to recognize greatness when you witness it.
Age 38, LeBron has remained dominant in the league by investing in his body…
He’s not playing around when it comes to health
He ended his partnership with McDonalds because…
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
…the fast food chain “didn’t share some of his core values”
In past off-seasons, LeBron has done 60-80 day stretches of the carnivore diet eating just:
• Meat
• Fish
• Fruit
• VeggesOf course, during the season he needs carbs before a game…
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
On game day he will eat chicken breast & pasta a few hours before the game
And a protein shake & fruit shortly before the game
However he’s particular about his carbs!
He aims for next to 0 sugar in his diet. pic.twitter.com/9pfgLALVUe
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
In 2018 he gave an example full-day-of-eating on a game day:
Breakfast: Egg white omelette, smoked salmon, berries
Lunch: Whole wheat pasta, salmon, veggies
Pre-game: PB & J sandwich
Halftime: Apple slices & almond butter
Post-game: Protein shake
Dinner: Chicken parm!
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
On the training-front LeBron loves HIIT, plyometrics, resistance band work, and of course weights pic.twitter.com/3DpRB1iBiN
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
Recovery! Where the magic happens:
LeBron is a big fan of cryotherapy chambers & ice baths 🧊
He will often also ice his knees courtside and at halftime
Massages & sleep optimization are also key for The King pic.twitter.com/HgWjv3sU1g
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
Finally, everything in balance… 🍷
LeBron loves a glass of red wine.
“I’ve heard it’s good for the heart. I’m playing the best basketball of my life and I’m drinking wine pretty much every day” pic.twitter.com/lrTvx0Fgte
— Lean Achilles | Men's Fitness (@LeanAchilles) February 9, 2023
While some NBA and NFL players spend their offseasons eating, drinking and being merry, James is in the “lab” making sure he gets the absolute most from his body.
It’s one thing for him to be one of the two to three greatest physical specimens in NBA history, but it’s another thing entirely for him to still be one of the league’s most physically gifted players in his 20th season.
James has shown everyone how well someone can age like, well, fine wine, while looking and feeling much younger than their age simply by being committed to physical fitness, a good diet and at least eight or nine hours of sleep a night.
