In the history of the NBA, no one came close to the figures of the Lakers forward at his age or in his twenty-first season in the League.

When LeBron James debuted in the NBA on October 29, 2003, Victor Wembanyama still had 67 days left to be born . They are 20 years apart, so in this case the phrase can be said without exaggeration: “I could be his father.

” The French prodigy of the Spurs is the precocious icon of a new era, but that of the Lakers forward is still valid and its end is not in sight. Today he turns 39 years old and after winning a thousand battles on the track he is still determined to win another, much more complicated fight against the passage of time .

LeBron is in his twenty-first season in the NBA , the same ones Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and Robert Parish were in . Only Vince Carter, at 22 , played longer. None of them came close to King James’ records with so much experience in the League. There was also no player with his performance at 39 years old. Only Karl Malone and Michael Jordan , in the Wizards after their second return, exceeded 20 points on average, LeBron is at 25.1. In terms of longevity he admits of no comparison .

I’m trying to push the limit and see how far I can take this. Don’t know. It’s me against Father Time
LeBron James, forward of the Lakers

Not regularly, either. In all of his years in the NBA he has averaged over 25 points except in his rookie year , when he only stayed at 20.9. The teams change, the players change, the coaches change, the dynamics change, the rules change, the competition format changes… The only thing that remains unchanged is LeBron and his impact on him.

He is the only player in NBA history to have surpassed 50 points under the age of 21 and over the age of 37 . What were once records of precocity are now records of seniority. Recently, on the verge of 39, he scored 40 points for the Thunder without a mistake on the triple. Nobody had done it at such an advanced age.

Very motivated by the novelty, he was also the MVP of the first edition of the In-Season Tournament won by the Lakers . “Knowing that I can continue to go out on the field and make winning plays, affect the game in multiple ways and close out a game in the fourth quarter when my team needed it always makes me feel good,” he says.

At the beginning of the season, before a Lakers practice, LeBron was reminded that he was the oldest player in the current NBA . He threw his hands over his face, screamed, and ran away. During that session, he was seen making a superb mate. “He always has energy. He is the oldest player in the NBA, but he acts every day as if he were 20 years old,” his teammate Austin Reaves is surprised .
I wouldn’t say that he won’t play until he’s over 40. Because of his love of basketball, he can play as long as he wants.

Rich Paul, agent of LeBron James

There are barely any signs of decline in LeBron’s game . He long ago turned his body into a temple. He invests a million dollars a year in taking care of his work tool : physios, physical trainers, nutritionists, recovery machines… The Lakers are also regulating him: with 34.0 minutes per game, he has the second lowest average in his team. career in the NBA . The Angelenos know that, despite his age and the presence on the roster of a player with MVP potential like Anthony Davis , the team’s aspirations depend on what James can do .

The Lakers forward became the leading scorer in NBA history last season. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 points , one of those marks that were thought unattainable. He is already at 39,380 points and his record does seem impossible to beat. Kevin Durant, the first active pursuer, has 27,676 . First we will have to see how much longer LeBron plays. “I’m trying to push the envelope and see how far I can take this. I don’t know. It’s me against Father Time ,” he says.

It makes me feel good knowing that I can continue to go out on the court, make winning plays, affect the game in multiple ways and close out a game in the fourth quarter.

LeBron James, forward of the Lakers

No one would be surprised to see him play well into his quarantine . “I wouldn’t say no. It’s important to understand what motivates him. As long as he’s still excited to play and he’s healthy, it’s possible. Because of his love of basketball, he can play as long as he wants,” says his agent, Rich Paul . At the moment, he has an option to continue one more season with the Lakers at a rate of 51 million dollars.
But money is not his motivation. They are the rings and the often-expressed desire to play alongside his 19-year-old son Bronny , who has returned to the court after overcoming a heart problem. It would be another achievement, another line in the history books, which already have several pages dedicated to the eternal LeBron .