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LeBron James didn’t seem too worried about being a victim of load management.
The 41-year-old is in his 23rd NBA season and has taken a good amount of time off in recent years, and hinted at more of the same to come.
Barely looking his age after posting 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in New Orleans on Tuesday night, James was asked about preparing to play the following night in San Antonio.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) speaks with a reporter after the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. (Stephen Lew/Image Images)
“I’m 41 years old. All consecutive games for the rest of the season are to be determined.” James said. “I’m 41 years old. I had the most minutes in NBA history. Put it up right now. What are we talking about?”
Perhaps load management is helping James defeat Father Time, as he averages 21.7 points, 6.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Sure, his rebounds per game would be a career low, and his points would be the second-lowest of his career (better than just his 2003-04 rookie season), but he’s also the only player to ever prepare for a 23rd NBA season.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
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However, James is on a hot scoring streak lately, averaging 26.0 points since turning 41 on Dec. 30, including 31 and 30 in two of his last three games. To put it in context, every other player in NBA history has averaged 5.3 points per game after turning 41, with the next closest average being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 10.4 in 78 games.
James missed the start of the season with sciatica and returned after 14 games. He started slowly, averaging 14.0 points per game and ending a streak of 1,297 games scoring at least 10 points (he got the assist right after the buzzer sounded). In 12 games since the streak ended, he is averaging 25.6 points per game.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James makes a dunk during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
It remains to be seen – better yet, “TBD” – whether James will continue his hot streak on Wednesday.
