“Lebron James has literally spent half of his life in the NBA”: The Lakers superstar joins Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki on extremely exclusive, elite NBA all-time list

Lebron James is setting the standards for the superstars of the future.

Lebron James is more than just a basketball player in the NBA. While he is praised for everything he does on and off the court, his longevity is seldom a matter of discussion.

King James was drafted into the NBA on 26 June 2003. As of December 20, 2021, King James has spent 6752 days in the league. This is exactly the number of days James spent before the NBA. He has literally spent one-half of his life in the NBA.

Nowadays, most players would have to play in the league for 19 years to reach that amazing half-life milestone. And while the King makes it look so easy, it’s actually not a very common occurrence. Over NBA history so far, only 23 players have ever played 19 or more seasons, and only two others besides James are currently active.

The 4x MVP made his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the age of 18. He was deemed as ‘The Chosen One’ by Sports Illustrated at the age of 16. No player in the history of the NBA has had more pressure coming into the league to succeed than LeBron James.

Also Read – “They dubbed me ‘The Chosen One’ when I was 16 years old”: LeBron James reveals when he realized he would make it to the NBA

Lebron James is aging like fine wine.

Lebron James wasted no time in introducing himself to the league. He is one of the 3 players to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game as a rookie. James’ addition to the Cavs resulted in instant improvement, winning 18 more games than the previous year.

At the mere age of 22, James led his team to the NBA Finals. Teams around the league took note of his rapid development, coach George Karl told Sports Illustrated – “It’s weird talking about a 20-year-old kid being a great player, but he is a great player. He’s the exception to almost every rule.”

Also Read – “LeBron James has played in 55 NBA Finals games; there have only been 103 Finals games since he entered the league.”: A Twitter comes up with an astonishing stat which proves the Lakers superstar’s dominance and consistency

James has made the finals in 3 different decades, which is a testament to man’s durability. Despite this being James’ 18th year in the league, he is still averaging 26 points at 50% efficiency. In comparison, Jordan had retired for the second time and Kobe Bryant was a mere shell of himself at the age of 37.

The King James saga is one of the most talked-about topics in the history of this league. James will be 37 years old in 10 days and still have a case for the best player in the league. Just to think of a player’s prime lasting for more than 15 years is jaw-dropping at the least.