As we approach LeBron James’ 41st birthday on December 30, it is still mind-boggling to the NBA world how well the Lakers forward is playing at age 40. JJ Redick and other team members spoke to the media and addressed what it is like to see James turning 41 now and still playing in the league.
Redick is only months older than James and turned 41 in June himself. While other young players spoke about growing up watching James, their head coach, Redick, also reflected on the difference between James turning 41 and himself turning the same age.
“I’ve been calling him 41 now, since I turned 41 in June. Tomorrow’s a day, but he’s 41 to me already,” joked Redick at the post-practice media scrum.
“It is remarkable, I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning. I have to get an injection in my knee. My body is old and broken. It’s like that if you don’t use it, you lose it. Once I stopped using it, I lost it all. I can still barely touch the rim now,” said Redick.
While most players begin dealing with serious injuries at this point in their careers, James is still going strong and continues to slam double-clutch dunks in transition. He is currently averaging 20.5 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 50.7% from the field.
His teammate, Nick Smith Jr., also spoke to the media about seeing James turn 41.
“He and my dad are the same age, and my dad played [in college and] hasn’t played in like 10 years. So the stuff he does is incredible. Yeah, he’s not normal. He’s not normal,” said Smith Jr. during his interview.
This shows the multigenerational impact that James has had in his career. James is currently midway through his 23rd season in the league. And yet, among the fan polls for the 2026 All-Star Weekend, he is currently ninth in the Western Conference among all players after the first round of voting (536,555 votes).
He is not the oldest player to ever play the game. But no one has ever impacted the game at the same level as he is at the current age.
Usually, players become bench rotation players or role players by this point in their career. But James is still the third option on the Lakers, behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Here’s wishing the Lakers superstar a very happy birthday and showing him tremendous gratitude for what he has done for the league.
The Lakers (20-10) are set to face the Pistons (24-8) on his birthday. It will be interesting to see if he puts up a memorable birthday performance to help the Lakers beat the No. 1 seed in the East.
