Is LeBron better as a 40 year old than he was 10 years ago? Very possibly and here is why
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is one point away from scoring 50,000 for his career, and after more than two decades he might be playing his best ball.
LeBron James continues to defy the laws of nature and Father Time. He’s 40 years old, and remains one of the best players in the NBA. The question is, is he having one of his best seasons ever after more than two decades in the league?
From Akron to the Hall of Fame
The “kid from Akron” is just a point away from 50,000 for his career. He is the the first and may be the last to ever reach that landmark. He was drafted in 2003 out of St. Vincent St. Mary’s High School and since then has cemented himself as one of the top players to ever play the sport.
The King is considered by many as the GOAT. If he’s not the greatest of all time, he’s one of them. He’s won four MVPs, four NBA titles and four Finals MVPs. He surpassed Kareem Abudul-Jabbar as the All-Time leading scorer last year, and has earned his way on to the Mount Rushmore of NBA players.
LeBron James delivered another stellar performance at Madison Square Garden, recording a triple-double with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Lakers defeated the Knicks 128-112.
— Triple Sports News (@TripleSportsNew) February 2, 2025
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In his 22nd season, his has shown a mix of remarkable longevity and durability. He’s been playing so long that he became the first player in NBA history to play alongside his son. The team with the oldest average age in the NBA is the Philadelphia 76ers at 28.3, LeBron has over a decade on them. Despite being a 10 years older than most of the league he may be playing some of his best basketball ever.
Like a fine wine
If you look at the stats of his last MVP season, which was back in 2012/13, James averaged 26.8 points, 8 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 56.5% from the field and 40.6% from three point range with the Miami Heat. The Heat went on to win the NBA title that year as James won one the second of his four titles.
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This year, James is averaging 24.8 points, 8 rebounds and 8.6 assists while shooting better from the field and just a fraction lower from downtown. Sure, he’s scoring two points less than he was 10 years ago, but he is also playing three fewer minutes and giving more assists than a decade ago. James, for some reason isn’t in the MVP conversation this year, but when you look at the numbers especially since turning 40 on the 30th of December, he is averring 26.5, 8.3 and 8.1 while shooting 55% from the field and 43% from downtown. Those are better numbers across the board than he produced in his MVP season.
Since his birthday, the Lakers got him a midseason present that seems to have lifted LA from a playoff team to a serious contender. Luka Doncic came to town and all of the sudden, the Lakers sit in second in the West with a little over a month to go in the season. LeBron may not win the MVP, but he will be fine with lifting his fifth Larry O’Brien Trophy.
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