What LeBron James is doing at 36-years-old is nothing short of incredible. Season averages of 25.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game on 49.5% shooting has put him squarely in the MVP conversation, and the Lakers seem headed for another successful campaign.
Still, some are expressing some concerns regarding the load “King” James is having to carry this year. Over the past three games, L.A. has played in three-straight overtimes, and James has averaged about 43 minutes per game.
Without taking a night off, and sans Anthony Davis, LeBron is carrying a heavy load for a guy in his late 30s. Former Lakers legend James Worthy couldn’t help but express his concern.
“He and I don’t get tired,” Worthy said. “LeBron… His mind is built to play. He doesn’t really look at minutes. I’m a little concerned (because) 40+ minutes reeks a lot of body fatigue, he’s tired. But he’s able to do it. He puts a lot of preparation into his body.
He comes out night after night. Without AD, without Caruso, he continues to step up. But 40+ minutes, you feel that. Particularly if you play a few 40 minutes games in a week.”
"It's always nice to get the W no matter how you get it." .@Mike_Bresnahan & @JamesWorthy42 discuss the #Lakers three OT wins, @KingJames' minutes and more. pic.twitter.com/E1idG4CBxs
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 12, 2021
It’s just a fact that James will reach the end at some point — and it’s probably going to be sooner than later. With over 17 seasons of mileage on his body, most of which includes long playoff runs, playing big minutes at this stage of his career probably is not a good idea.
Then again, if LeBron trusts his body enough to go this hard during the regular season, then who are we to argue? It’s no secret that he spends millions of dollars and countless hours of his time on conditioning his body for the game and it has worked great so far.
At this point, it’s really anyone’s guess when the Chosen One will finally slow the heck down.
