Celebrating his 33rd birthday on December 30, the leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers is still playing at the top level without showing any signs of the burden of age.
LeBron James has not missed a single game in the 36 games the Cleveland Cavaliers have played so far in 2017. In fact, he has averaged 37.8 minutes per game, the most in the last four seasons. At 33, James is still the team’s top scorer and is in the top 3 in the NBA.
His average points per game this season is 27.8, which is higher than his career average (27.2). Only James Harden (32.3) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.0) have scored more points in the NBA this season. But those are two younger players, one in the prime of his career (Harden, 28) and the other the brightest young talent (Giannis, 23).
James showed brilliant form in the first half of the 2017-2018 season, despite being 33 years old. Photo: AP .
The statistics prove that LeBron James, at 33, is having a strong “rejuvenation”, overwhelming countless rising talents in the NBA and making established stars respect him. In addition to his scoring ability that is almost the same as when he was at his peak five years ago, James also possesses an impressive shooting percentage of 57.2% and 41% for three-pointers. Not only that, he has an average of 8.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game.
In the first half of this season, LeBron James was one of three players to score over 50 points in a game (along with James Harden and DeMar DeRozan). In the match against the Washington Wizards on November 4, 2017, “King James” scored 57 points to help the Cleveland Cavaliers win 130-122. This number is not as high as the record of 61 points that James achieved when he was with the Miami Heat (in the victory over the Charlotte Hornets on March 3, 2014), but it was enough to make the entire NBA praise him.
James Harden, who scored 56 points in the win over Utah Jazz on November 6, 2017, shared: “It would be an understatement to say that LeBron is the motivation for us to improve and score as many points as possible.” And Dwyane Wade, his teammate at Cavaliers, did not hide his admiration: “It’s unbelievable. He’s still playing like he was in his twenties. I sympathize with the difficulties that opponents face when trying to stop LeBron.”
James’s top performances in the NBA in the first half of the 2017-2018 season.
The question many people are asking right now is: Why has LeBron James been able to maintain his peak performance throughout his 14 seasons in the NBA?
There is no secret. LeBron James is simply a professional athlete in every aspect . He is immune to scandals, creating a peaceful and stable life with his wife and children.
In the Cavaliers locker room, James has the biggest say, even more than coach Tyronn Lue. That position is not only established because he is the most talented star, but also because of his exemplary lifestyle off the court.
During the 2017-2018 preseason campaign, LeBron James was always the one who arranged short training trips for the whole team. And during those training sessions, he was the most active and hardworking person. James is known as a “gym fanatic”. That explains why at the age of 33, he still possesses solid muscles and excellent physical strength.
Like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant before him, James has his own physical training team. Among them, expert Mike Mancias has been with him for many years and plays the most important role. Mancias followed James when he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat, then returned with James to the maroon team.
Mancias pays attention to the smallest things that affect James’ body, including what the 33-year-old star eats and drinks during the day. Even when boarding the plane to travel to the competition venue, James is applied with muscle therapy exercises from trusted experts.
Conscious training and help from experts have helped LeBron James maintain his physical strength for 14 seasons in the NBA. Photo: Reuters .
A healthy lifestyle, combined with the treatment of leading experts, has helped LeBron James never face serious injuries. Over the past 15 years, he has only had to miss an average of five out of 82 games per season. More importantly, in every game he has played, James has created memorable plays and set unbelievable scoring records.
People are not made of stone, but for James, that cruel rule seems to be a long way from happening to him. Many NBA legends, including Michael Jordan, have played until they were 40. This season, fans are witnessing three 40-year-old stars and eight others as young as 37 playing in matches.
Talking about the milestone he desires, James revealed to CBS : “I won’t be able to play at this level forever, but I’m willing to do everything I can to stay in the NBA until Bronny (as LeBron often calls his eldest son) plays in the NBA. The feeling of facing your own son on the court is unbelievable.”
“Bronny” LeBron James Jr. is 13 years old and needs at least 6 more years to be drafted in the NBA. That means James will have to fight until he is 39 years old to have any hope of joining his son in the number one basketball league on the planet. That mission will not be impossible if “King James” lives, tpractice and compete like this
