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LeBron James is the 3rd player in NBA history with the most All-Star selections (17), having made All-Star appearances for the entirety of his career (2005-21), except his rookie season.
He has been able to maintain his game at a high level to the amazement of the basketball community with four NBA championships and eight MVP awards (including four Finals MVP) to show for it. Below are three reasons as to how he has been able to pull it off.
Three reasons why LeBron James has been able to play at a high level for so many years
#1 Proper body care and all-round fitness
LeBron James is known to take proper care of the body, spending over $1.5 million to stay in perfect shape, dieting, fitness routines and the like. He has been associated with Tom Brady who is in his mid-40s and still performing at a very high level, having won his last three championship rings at ages 37, 39 and 41. Apparently, both players have the same goal and are doing anything to achieve it, which primarily hinges on their fitness and work rate.
King James is said to be walking in the shoes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a fitness junkie himself. With his body care routine, constant dieting and fitness, James could go on for another five seasons having already had 18 seasons. And why not!
#2 A superior mentality and total commitment to the game
While LeBron James is a strong athletic player with great tactics and a dominant presence on the court, there exists a greater part of him that keeps him performing at a very high level - his mindset. James is set on going where no one else has, surpassing everyone else regardless of his age.
In NBA history, at age 35, most of the greats are rounding up their career as they are out of their prime whilst planning their retirement. Micheal Jordan won his last championship title at age 34, Larry Bird got his at age 29, while Kobe Bryant won his last championship ring when he was 31.
James' case is a lot different as it seems like he's gunning for more championship rings having won his fourth title with the Lakers in the 2020-21 season at age 35. An exception though is the legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won three of his last three titles at age 38, 40 and 41 respectively.
His love for the game and his superior mentality has kept him going and performing at a high level. James wants to share the court with his son before he retires and he just might. If he does, James will become the first player in NBA history to share the court with his son.
#3 His high basketball IQ
LeBron James is an unusually talented player with an eidetic memory that sets him apart from others. This enables him to remember plays, players' locations on the court and their possible responses to plays made.
When asked about this ability, James said he had always had it as it was something he was born/blessed with but didn't quite know what it was.
With such ability in his coffers, James has always been difficult to read or stop on the floor. This has kept him playing at a level that has proven to be unmatchable. Doc Rivers, the Clippers' coach, has been caught saying that while there are lots of people with his body in the league, none exists with his brainpower. His high basketball IQ has proven to be a formidable part of LeBron James' talent that puts him way ahead of the others.
