During the ‘Mind the Game’ pod with LeBron James and JJ Redick, LBJ talked about a car analogy he gave to his wife Savannah James after a game, talking about the pain in his body. Urging her to “rub his feet”, the All-time NBA Leading Scorer compared himself to a 2003 Escalade. While a car can undergo tire changes, the 2003 #1 draft pick still has the same legs. On their ‘Nightcap‘ podcast, Gilbert Arenas and Shannon Sharpe discussed James’ analogy to his wife.
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Sharpe marveled at James’ ability to play over 35 minutes in his 21st season. As a former NFL athlete, he knows what heavy wear and tear means. Meanwhile, Arenas explained how he has been able to keep going at age 39. Agent Zero touched upon how, as a rookie for the Cavs, the uptempo forward was “icing all his limbs”. For Arenas, this was exceptional because many players who were that young never adhered to such practices.
“At 19, 20 years old, he was icing all his limbs. He had his feet, knees, and elbows, which players 20-25, we wasn’t icing like that. The fact that he has been in the same routine, you can see why he has longevity,” Arenas explained to Sharpe.
Arenas also highlighted how James is “the last one to leave the arena” as he has an icing, massage, and stretching routine. Then he detailed how players like Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have such routines to keep going at a high level. Then he brought a car analogy to prove that these players pay attention to the wear and tear earlier than most athletes.
“We all take our cars to get them service at 3000 miles. LeBron and KD them, they’re probably getting their car service at 1500 miles or 1,000. They are not waiting 3000, 4000, 500 miles,” Agent Zero explained further.
Thus, Arenas argued that top-flight athletes like LBJ start to take care of their bodies at younger ages. This is one of the secrets to their longevity. A few years back, James also touched upon how his engine has been revving at a high pace even in his deep 30s.
LeBron James revealed the unending motivation to keep going
In 2021, LBJ talked to Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike and highlighted why he can still play at an elite level. Considering he is always on critics’ radar, the Lakers superstar uses the negative feedback as an extra motivation. During the interview with Woike, he alluded to how he still feels the same passion for hooping as he did in his younger days. Marca’s Pavel Ibarra Meda covered his comments made to the LA Times.
“It doesn’t surprise me because I know how much work I put into my job, my body and preparing to play. So I can go out and do some things that other people still wonder how can I do. I can feel the energy, I can feel the aura, and now it’s about putting in the work, it’s about trusting the process and working towards the goal every day,” James told the LA Times.
Thus, apart from the decades-long warm-down routines, it is his will to go out there and perform that keeps him going. Despite having 4x NBA Finals MVPs and 4x MVPs, the James train isn’t willing to hit the arrival mark yet.
