LeBron James is entering a place no NBA player has ever been before: Year 23. At nearly 41 years old, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is still producing at an All-NBA level, fresh off a season where he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds in 70 games. Yet when asked how he continues to defy time, James leaned less on talk of recovery chambers or training regimens and more on something far simpler: perspective. On the Lakers media day:
“I feel like you are the age which you tell your mind you are. How could I not feel young? I mean, my wife is beautiful. I look good. I look at my age, it’s like the wine that I drink. The older wine I drink, the better it is. I feel great.”
It was a candid, even playful answer from someone often described as calculated in front of cameras. James credits family life as one of the keys to maintaining his vitality. Being surrounded by his children, ranging from 10 to 20 years old, keeps him grounded and plugged into younger energy. He says watching his kids run around the house or dance with Savannah gives him an everyday reminder that life is full, not fading.
But make no mistake: LeBron James is still doing the work. His commitment to maintaining peak performance more than two decades into his career is legendary, from investing millions into his body to carefully monitoring recovery.
That discipline has allowed him to become the first player in NBA history to be named to an All-NBA team for 21 consecutive seasons. For all the talk of fine wine and family joy, it’s his relentless regimen that enables him to deliver at a level no one else his age has reached.
The balance between work and joy is what James says keeps him moving forward.
He mentions enjoying golf, spending time with Savannah, and never taking the privilege of being in the NBA for granted. His current run with the Lakers is now the longest stint of his career with any franchise, surpassing his seven years in Cleveland and four in Miami.
For a player once defined by restless ambition, Los Angeles has become the stage for his remarkable late-career consistency.
Naturally, the questions about retirement won’t stop. James has hinted that the end is closer than ever, and he is playing this season on an expiring contract. But rather than let the chatter weigh him down, he embraces the moment.
If LeBron James truly is like fine wine, he’s still uncorking vintage seasons while rewriting the rules of basketball longevity.
