LeBron James vs. Father Time: Has ‘King James’ Succumbed To His Old Age In Year 20 With The Lakers?

Is ‘LeBron James vs Father Time’ a battle that the latter can win in year 20 with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23? 

LeBron James was in the NBA when Scottie Pippen was also in the NBA. Quite an outrageous tid-bit in my opinion. He burst onto the scene as one of the best rookies the league had seen in the past decade, along the lines of Tim Duncan and Yao Ming, or perhaps even greater. 

After winning Rookie of the Year, James immediately started to average his usual 27+ points, 7+ rebounds, and 7+ assists that we’ve become accustomed to. That was when he was 20 years old. Fast-forward to his 4th season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22 and he averaged 30.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 8.2 rebounds. 

For someone in their 19th year in the league, that is an absurd amount of production. So, the question everybody is asking is, ‘When will we see LeBron drop-off?’

Also read: Michael Jordan is the Reason Why LeBron James’ $50.98 Million Tax Bill Keeps Climbing Higher!

‘LeBron James vs Father Time’ is a fight that’s looking quite difficult for the latter 

Coming into Year 20, Nike has targeted their marketing for LeBron James around the fact that he is up against ‘Father Time’. Played by Jason Momoa, Nike clearly is looking to capitalize on their number one superstar’s unwillingness to slow down.

Despite the loss on opening night against the Golden State Warriors, James picked up right where he left off last season. He dropped 31 points on 48% shooting while grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists. 

This isn’t what a soon-to-be 38-year-old’s statline should look like when playing against the defending champions. Both fans and analysts alike have given up on questioning when LeBron James will ever slow down. 

There are a bevy of factors at play of course. Everything from conditioning and recovery to strategic load management throughout the season that could help James play for more than just another few seasons. 

How does LeBron James train his body? 

It was reported quite some time back by Maverick Carter that LeBron drops well over $1 million a year on keeping his body in world-class shape. Couple that with a slew of personal chefs and dieticians along with his own trainers and it’s safe to say that James is doing all he can to play longer than any player has in league history. 

He certainly will have to considering the fact that not only does he want to play with his eldest son, Bronny, in the NBA, but also his middle child, Bryce Maximus, who’s currently slated to be a part of the 2026 NBA Draft class.

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