“Looks Like He’s Working Hard”: Dwight Howard Claims LeBron James’ Longevity Comes From Craftily Managing Minutes on the Court

Basketball is much deeper than many fans realize. There are various strategies and tactics that players use to reach optimal performance. Many players simplify the game by using numbers. Soon-to-be Hall-of-Fame big man Dwight Howard claims Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is no different.

The former Laker and LeBron’s teammate believes this efficient and smart way to break down plays and quarters down and work accordingly is also the reason for James’ longevity.

“It looks like [LeBron James] is working hard, but he’s just only working smart,” Howard claimed on the Lou Young Show recently. “He’s doing it in spurts. If I’m playing seven minutes in the quarter, the first three minutes I’m focusing on getting my teammates involved.”

In a 2018 interview with ESPN, LeBron spoke about perfecting the ‘art of resting while playing’ at the age of 34 as he managed to play in all the season’s games.

“It’s just about growing, maturing and understanding that you play smarter,” James said back then.

“It’s not like you’re out there and you say, ‘OK, I’m not going to get back on defense here. Not going to do this here.’ It’s just about picking your spots.”

LeBron is a fan of analytics and being a team player who is versatile enough to perform a specific role, so that he could contribute to the team more.

So Howard’s claim holds up in validity. It is very difficult for James, at 40 years old, to play at 100% in every minute he’s on the court. The Lakers require the four-time champion to adapt to what the team requires of him in that specific game.

The addition of Luka Doncic was a perfect example of how LeBron adjusts his play on a game-to-game basis. In some matchups, his aggressiveness increases if he feels the team needs it. In other instances, he may focus on defending and facilitating if Doncic and Austin Reaves are handling scoring.

In fact, Howard is passionate about this thought and also revealed he followed a similar style in his career. He talked about that as well and shed light on longevity and the secret to his rebounding dominance.

“If you look at it, if I get two to three rebounds a quarter, at the end of the game, now I’m at the league average,” Howard said.

This mindset pushed Howard to become one of the best big men of his era. Subsequently, he led the league in rebounding five different seasons. The number breakdown doesn’t apply strictly to rebounds.

This is a method that many players have adopted to ensure long careers in the NBA. Players such as Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard all strategically pick their spots and have realistic targets for themselves throughout the course of the game.

The next generation can learn a lot from Howard, LeBron, and others from the current generation. Their way of looking at the game may be the result in a new standard for the longevity of star players in the NBA.