LeBron James is headed into unchartered territory as he begins the 22nd season of his NBA career. Not only is he joining Vince Carter as only the 2nd player to play into their 22nd season, but he’s doing it at such a high level. The fact that his son is now also his teammate speaks to the longevity of King James.
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As admirable as it is, it’s not something that everyone can attain. There’s a lot of work that goes into maintaining LeBron’s body season after season. During his conversation on the Run Your Race podcast, Andre Drummond revealed he was shocked by LBJ’s work ethic.
Drummond got an opportunity to play alongside LeBron for the Lakers in 2021. The 31-year-old said that the four-time NBA Champion is a workaholic in the truest sense. He works constantly and tirelessly on his body. What surprised Drummond the most was witnessing how King James was getting some work done on his body even during lunch or having a conversation with other people.
Being around arguably one of the greatest players of all time changed Drummond’s perception of how he worked on himself. He realized that to be anywhere near the conversations involving LeBron, he would have to do a lot more than he was accustomed to.
He said, “The dude is a workaholic…He’s always doing something. When we’re not practicing, this motherf***er is on a foam roller, he’s rolling out, having a conversation. We’re at lunch, this n***a is rolling his feet out. We’re playing cards and this n***a is getting a massage. I’m like, god damn, could you relax? And he’s like, ‘No, I’ve got to preserve the body.”
Drummond then started following LeBron’s regime by asking him questions. He got to know how much effort it takes to be LeBron James in the world of sports. He also understood the amount of money that’s spent on keeping LeBron healthy at all times.
LeBron James addressed the $1.5 million per year rumor
For a long time, it has been common knowledge that LeBron spends upwards of $1.5 million on his body per year. Nobody refuted it because it made sense for someone of his caliber and wealth to spend that money to stay in shape. LeBron addressed the rumors on an episode of ‘Starting 5‘, a Netflix sports series.
He said, “I’ve heard this crazy notion about how much money I spend on my body per year, and I kind of just chuckle. That is a number that I will not disclose, but more importantly, I think it’s the time.” It really is about the time and there’s no shortcut to attaining a physique like LeBron. During a conversation with GQ, his trainer Mike Mancias talked about King James’ recovery process.
He said, “He utilizes a hyperbaric chamber for his recovery. And there is a daily meditation. He’ll either do that first thing in the morning or at night, once he’s calming down and getting ready for bed.” As per Mancias, LeBron assesses his progress every day and gets ready for the next day’s routine accordingly.
The dedication that LeBron shows to stay in the best shape possible is a testament to his love for the game.
