• Dwyane Wade marveled at LeBron James’ incredible NBA longevity
• Wade gives the credit to James’ mental strength being the key behind him having the success he’s having
• Wade said he ended his career early because he didn’t have the same strength
LeBron James is locking in for another season of incredible production at an age we haven’t ever seen before. Ahead of his Year 21 campaign, his former teammate and close friend Dwyane Wade appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast and explained how James has been able to play at such a high level for this long.
“If he doesn’t get injured. Look at him. One of his legs are two of mine put together. He isn’t built like a normal person. God gave him that blessing, you built different. He has the mental to continue to keep his mind strong. That’s one of the hardest parts. If you physically can play, mentally, you lose it even quicker… LeBron has been mentally able to tell himself, ‘You’re not tired, you’re not injured.’ He’s been able to mentally do that… His mind is strong, one of his strongest tools is his mind. People say he has a crazy IQ. No, he has an intelligent and strong mind. That allows him to keep going. As long as his mind stays strong, which gets harder and harder every year, he could average 20+ for a couple of more years.”
James may decline slightly every season, but there’s been no reason for anyone to believe he can’t compete at the highest level as one of the best players in the NBA. He isn’t 2013 LeBron, but he doesn’t need to be that to still be a top-10 player in the league.
His mentality is something to be marveled at. He came into the NBA with the expectation of being one of the GOATs and managed to stay cool-headed enough to actually surpass those ridiculously lofty expectations.
Not only that, he has enjoyed a career with minimal off-court controversy, helped his childhood friends become millionaires on their own, and has raised children who will likely follow his footsteps into the NBA.
Dwyane Wade Retired Because He Couldn’t Adjust His Mentality
Dwyane Wade admitted to Shannon Sharpe that he ended his career prematurely in 2019 because he couldn’t adjust his mentality to keep playing in the league after how injuries snatched his prime away from him.
“Like mentally, I was done. I had two or three more years at a certain level, I could have averaged 12 to 15 on a team off the bench. But mentally, because of the injuries, it beat me down.”
Wade averaged 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists over his career and won three championships with one Finals MVP. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in his last season with the Miami Heat.
Given how he and LeBron were draft classmates, it’s insane to think that James is still averaging nearly 30 points while Wade has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
LeBron James Rewriting What Longevity Means
What LeBron James is achieving in the NBA right now is absolutely incredible. There is no comparison for a player at this age doing what he’s doing. He shattered records in Year 20 and became the league’s all-time scoring leader, but he’s on course to break a lot more records in Year 21.
After two seasons where his team wasn’t competing for a title, the Lakers could head into next season as one of the favorites to win it all. The fact that a team with a star who will turn 39 years old in his 21st season can be among the favorites is a pretty insane feat, but James has rewritten expectations for players at that age.
With Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant also continuing to dominate into their later ages, we’re seeing James set a standard that every player who wants to have a long and dominant career will be judged by. Modern medicine and rehab have increased the overall length of careers, so let’s see if anyone can challenge James’ incredible achievements at this age in the future.
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