“Don’t Count My Minutes!”: LeBron James Lectured Brian Windhorst on Being Critical Over His Playing Time

Throughout his 22 seasons in the NBA, LeBron James has dealt with all the narratives that the media has thrown at him. But one thing the King has maintained his stance on is load management. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has faced James’ wrath in the past in that regard. He recalled how the four-time MVP once lectured him for recommending that the veteran superstar limit his playing time due to his age.

Windhorst was on ‘Thanalysis’, Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s talk show, when the 2021 NBA champion mentioned how James should not be playing back-to-backs at his age. “I would agree with you but he [LeBron] doesn’t agree with you, because he’s like, ‘I know my body,’” the 46-year-old responded.

“LeBron gave me a lecture like eight years ago, about don’t count my minutes, basically. He was like, ‘Don’t count my minutes!’ and I, I’ve had a few moments where I’ve counted his minutes, but generally I don’t count his minutes,” Windhorst added.

The veteran sportswriter was among the first to learn this lesson as the closest reporter to LBJ, but the King’s disdain for load management became clear for all to see in Netflix’s ‘Starting 5’ documentary.

Last season, James played the fourth-fewest minutes per game of his career as former head coach Darvin Ham instituted a minutes restriction for the oldest player in the league.

The approach was understandable to an extent as James had missed 80 games due to injuries over the previous three seasons. However, after playing just 29 minutes in the opening night loss against Denver, LeBron was fed up with the strategy.

“Y’all got me on old man time percentages. 2 shots in 8 minutes. Just getting cardio. I hate this. Garbage. They know that I’m in better shape than everybody,” the four-time NBA champion complained.

By game 2, the restriction would be lifted and LeBron would play 35 minutes, helping the Lakers to their first win of the season.

LeBron James spends $1.5 million a year on his body

After the minutes restriction was lifted last season, James would play the most games (71) in a season since his final year in Cleveland. He proved the doubters wrong and stood by the sentiment that he knows his body.

“Sleep is the best recovery you can have,” James has preached. But it’s not the only tool in his recovery arsenal. After all, there are professionals working throughout the season to help the 20-time All-Star maintain his incredible form.

From compound trainings to sugar-less diet, LeBron leads a straight and narrow routine during the NBA season. He is also one of the earliest and biggest advocates for cryotherapy, utilizing both ice baths and liquid nitrogen chambers to help his body heal after games.

At 39, LeBron James spends $1.5 million a year to stay fit.

In the latest Netflix series “Starting 5” they revealed his biohacking regimen. These are the exact methods that kept him dominating the NBA for 20+ years.

Let’s break down his 7-figure biohacking routine: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/z9f6LYQUdi

— Ben Smith (@bensmithlive) November 3, 2024

Through his incredible and expensive regiment, James has revolutionized the meaning of longevity as a professional athlete. He was the youngest player to make an All-NBA team as he made it at just 20 years of age. And last season, at 39, he became the oldest player to make the All-NBA team.