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MIAMI. — It was 2006. LeBron James wasn’t even midway through his first stint in Cleveland. He made the playoffs for the first time, was already a globally recognised basketball star and well on his way to becoming the game’s best player.
As a 21-year-old, he averaged 30.2 points.
Fast forward 16 years. He’s left Cleveland, gone to Miami, won two championships, gotten married, became a father of three, gone back to Cleveland, won another championship, left for Los Angeles, won a fourth championship with the Lakers, still a giant star, still in the best-player conversation.
As a 37-year-old, he averaged 30.1 points.
James turned 38 yesterday, midway through his 20th season. Nobody in NBA history has averaged so many points as a 37-year-old. Not even close. Karl Malone averaged 23.2 points at that age, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 20.2 and Julius Erving averaged 20.2. There have been 150 players in NBA history who played at 37; the average scoring clip of the other 149 was 8.3 points per game.
Yet here is James, simply not slowing down. He averaged more points at 37 then he did at 22. Or 23. Or 24. Or any other age over the last 16 years.
“I know how feverishly he works on his game,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.
“Just being in the gym, seeing him in the gym . . . you know, he’s not just out there playing his own individual game of H-O-R-S-E. He actually works on the shots and just being ready to be able to strike from any zone or any distance.” — AP
Online Reporter