Superstars like LeBron James are generational talents. LeBron is truly one of the most skilled players to ever play in the NBA. But what’s more impressive about James is his insane longevity.
Thanks to LeBron James’ out of the world longevity, he has remained one of the best players in the world for 20 years now. What’s even more impressive is the fact that James still has a few more prime-esque seasons left in him.
Speaking of the King, LeBron James recently added another feather to his cap. Yes, we are talking about James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. Following the historic night, many believe that James has surpassed Michael Jordan and now sits on the throne of the greatest basketball player of all time.
Stephen A. Smith Gets A Lesson About LeBron James’ Longevity From JJ Redick
There are a few people out there who will never consider LeBron James as the GOAT over Michael Jordan. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith is one of those people, and he recently proved that in an episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take.’
In the segment, Stephen A. Smith pointed out that Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the greatest scorer of all time, and the veteran analyst is not wrong about it. But JJ Redick had to educate Stephen A. when he unknowingly dismissed LeBron’s longevity.
(Starts at 8:20)
“Let me educate you for a second, Stephen A., because this is important. … The load on people’s tendons and joints and bones in today’s game. Yes, the pace is higher. There is more space to cover on a general possession. If you watch 90s basketball, I grew up watching it, I watch it on YouTube on a weekly basis. There’s a lot of standing still. There’s a lot of post feed … The pace of less, so yes, there were less possessions. I know it was physical, there were less possessions. There was less wear and tear on the body.”
He continued, “Jordan took a year and a half off then he took three years off, LeBron has done this for 20 years. Played in 10 NBA Finals, been on Olympic teams. There’s a load on his body. What he’s doing at 38, scoring 30 a game, let’s give the man some credit.”
Redick wanted to make sure that despite the 90s being a more physical era, most of the wear and tear was due to hard fouls. On the other hand, the wear and tear on the bodies of the players nowadays are much higher due to the fast pace playing style.
Keeping that in mind, what LeBron James has done throughout his career and will continue to do so over the next few years truly deserves some credit.
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