LeBron James enters his 19th NBA season in much better shape than his almost 37 years would invite you to think about. Its durability is something that has been praised from many different perspectives for years, and this time it was Stephen Curry who has taken care of it. The point guard was asked about it in the preview of the friendly game that measured the Warriors and Lakers and that fell on the side of Golden State, and was impressed by the way in which Akron’s has managed to prolong his career.
“It is setting a precedent in terms of longevity,” he said. Let’s be serious. How many seasons has it been? 18? And we are talking about someone who has been to eight Finals in a row and who has achieved everything that he has achieved. We all have in mind the idea of prolonging our career as long as possible, so we are aware of the work that takes, especially during the offseason and when it comes to taking care of your body and maintaining mental strength. It requires a lot of balance both on the court and off it.
“For me it is very strange, because I still remember being in my university stage and seeing LeBron reach his best version in the league. In my second year of the NCAA he came to see a game and then he came back to another in my third year. It’s funny if you think about it. I still have a shirt that I signed in 2008 at my parents’ house. Seen like this, it is strange to think about what has happened in the last 13 years.
Curry’s is by no means the only case of players who have grown up in basketball by admiring LeBron and have subsequently had the option of facing him. In fact, many players who came to the league after him have ended up finishing their careers earlier as James continued to give a buzz. What remains to be seen now is whether the forward gets more stars to reach such an advanced age as a league elite or whether he continues for years to be a rare bird in terms of longevity.
(Cover photo: Harry How / Getty Images)
