How far would you go to be the very best in your line of work? For LeBron James, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, the answer has always been as far as possible.
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LeBron has been famously diligent about his fitness and the way he takes care of his body. He is said to have spent a million dollars a year on his body. And that shows in how he’s still a hugely impactful player in this, his record 23rd NBA season.
However, Father Time comes for us all eventually, even the greats. Whether LeBron ends up retiring after this season or a year or two from now, Father Time is going to win. Still, LeBron isn’t going quietly.
On the newest episode of his Mind the Game podcast, LeBron spoke about how getting older has forced him to make even more sacrifices than before. The couple of them he made before this season were indeed big ones.
“So I wasn’t playing, obviously, as the season started,” said James to his cohost Steve Nash, referring to the sciatica that kept him out of the first 14 games of this season.
“So I needed to give up something. I gotta sacrifice something, and I actually did two things that I very [much] love. And that is drinking wine and my chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I completely took it out,” he revealed.
LeBron initially planned on abstaining from his favorite treats just through November, but kept it going beyond that. “I didn’t have my first drink and my first piece of dessert until New Year’s. So I ended up going two months,” he said.
The Lakers legend is one of the world’s most famous oenophiles. His love of wine is well-documented, but so is his love for chocolate chip cookies. The beginning of the end of his tenure with the Miami Heat was reportedly when Pat Riley banned cookies from the team plane. So it goes to show the level of dedication LeBron has to still be great that he willingly gave them up now.
It’s not usually the case that the season is going and LeBron isn’t playing. So this year was a new experience for him. That’s why he wanted to challenge himself by dropping wine and cookies, describing them as his “two vices.” Doing so helped him not just get in shape, but it also provided him with a challenge to take on as he waited to fuel his competitive fire on the basketball court.
LeBron reiterated at All-Star Weekend that he doesn’t yet know if he’ll come back for his 24th season next year. But it’s obvious that he’s still good enough to keep on playing.
Since making his season debut, James has averaged 22 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. And he’s helped the Lakers to a 24-15 record when he plays. The sacrifices have definitely worked.
