Despite being 36 years of age, LeBron James continues to dominate the NBA. James’ career has spanned nearly 20 years, and what is truly incredible to behold is how dominant he has been even in his older years.
James has been a consistent All-Star for almost his entire NBA career. Other than his 2003-04 rookie season, James has been an All-Star for every season of his career in the league. On top of that, he has also been one of the fittest players in the NBA.
Aside from 2 major injuries he has incurred during his career with the Lakers, LeBron has almost never spent an extended period of time away from the court. James invests a lot of money into his fitness, over $1 million each year to keep himself in peak shape and conditioning.
On top of that, his basketball IQ ranks up there with some of the greatest ever. This is why he has been able to play at the highest level even as he has gotten older. With James’ physical powers declining slightly, he has learned to rely on his basketball intelligence and play smarter.
But how does one even try to stop LeBron James? Guarding James is a nightmare for any defender regardless of their quality. One reporter asked legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich this question. And his response truly summarizes the brilliance of James.
Popovich simply asked the reporter if he’s ever seen LeBron play before. And then told him that he’s LeBron James, that is what makes him so difficult to guard in the NBA before walking away.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUL3s0Ap4uh
“Have you watched LeBron play before?… He’s LeBron James. That’s what makes him so difficult to guard.”
Pop and LeBron have had many an encounter against each other, including 3 NBA Finals. Pop walked away as the victor against LeBron on 2 of those occasions, but it is clear that he has an infinite amount of respect for ‘The King’.
James is a 4-time NBA Champion, 4-time Finals MVP, and 4-time regular season MVP. And he is still going, looking to add more to that resume. He and the Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to get back to championship status next season, especially given how poorly their season ended last year.
