Lakers News: Former LeBron James Teammate Speaks on His Ageless Superstardom

The 39-year-old Los Angeles forward has shown very few signs of slowing down on offense.

Apr 29, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers combo forward LeBron James has now played at an elite level longer than anyone in the history of the league. The 6-foot-9 superstar is tipping off his 22nd season in 2024-25, which will tie him with Hall of Fame shooting guard/small forward Vince Carter for the most seasons ever played. But where Carter was by that point a fringe bench player on a lottery team, James remains one of the best 15 or 20 players in the NBA, a perennial All-Star who still has a shockingly quick first step even on the cusp of his 40th birthday.

The four-time league champ has shown very few signs of slowing down on offense, though he has by necessity taken a step back on the other end of the hardwood.

While playing 71 games as the offensive leader for the 47-35 Lakers this past season, the 20-time All-Star (also a record, by the way) averaged a stellar 25.7 points on .540/.410/.750 shooting splits, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per bout.

Former two-time All-Defensive Team swingman Shane Battier, who won two titles with James on the Miami Heat from 2011-14 before calling it a career, marveled at his comrade's astounding longevity. James famously invests an estimated $1.5 million annually in keeping his body in peak physical condition, a worthwhile commitment given how well it's paid off.

"That's what separates him from everybody else."@ShaneBattier tells @TheFrankIsola and @Scalabrine that his former teammate, LeBron James, is still going strong#HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/Wmrn6QsV9G

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 11, 2024

"He's unbelievable," Battier observed. "I saw the dedication to his body firsthand [while on Miami]. His greatness comes from his work on his body. The amount of time he spends stretching and strengthening and [doing] bandwork and massage, it was exhausting. I just wanted to drink beer and lift a few weights. His commitment to being at peak physical conditioning, that's what separates him from everybody else."

Battier, by the way, was only drafted out of Duke three years before James, and enjoyed a still-lengthy 13-year career before calling it a career after his — and James' — final year with the Heat. He has been retired for 10 seasons — during which James has appeared in an additional five NBA Finals and won two titles with two different teams.

"I'm not surprised but I see him out there at 40 years old and I'm like, 'Good Lord LeBron, you're a better man than most of us,'" Battier added. "That's a grind for anybody, much less a 40-year-old." In fairness, James is 39, but he'll be turning 40 just two months into the 2024-25 season.

Now a broadcaster, the 46-year-old Battier will get to witness James' prolonged greatness as a spetator this year, along with the rest of us.

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