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October 29th, 2003, that's when LeBron James made his highly anticipated debut in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 18 NBA seasons have passed since that night, during all of which LeBron James has been one of the league's box office attractions.
It's hard to pinpoint when LeBron James reached the mountain top to be the unanimous choice as the best player in the world, but a safe bet is during the 2006-07 NBA playoffs.
Fast forward to 2021, LeBron James is entering his 19th NBA season, as he bids to add another championship ring to his collection with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have doubled down on experience during the off-season, trading for Russell Westbrook and signing players such as Carmelo Anthony to help build out their bench.
Regardless of whether LeBron James and the Lakers taste success again this season, the primary question that will be on everybody's lips is: "How much longer can LeBron keep dominating the NBA?"
Most players who are as physically dominant as LeBron James have a very defined point in their career, a point where their bodies stopped cooperating as quickly as they used to.
Players find their reactions have lost a few tenths of a second, or that their quick burst isn't as explosive as it once was. Some players even find that their ability to go through their shooting motions is more robotic than they're accustomed to.
Yet, despite being within the top 3% of the league for usage rate for his entire career, LeBron James' body is still finely tuned. His hair may be greying around the edges, and his face no longer looks as youthful as it did during his earlier years, but the impact LeBron makes on the floor is still at elite levels.
Judicially picking when to take his foot off the pedal on both ends of the floor, LeBron James has started to pick his moments more carefully. Sure, we're no longer treated to a plethora of chase down blocks, or tomahawk jams on the break, but in almost every NBA circle, LeBron James is still a "Top 5" player in the NBA.
450, that's how many players are in the NBA at any given point. No one seems to believe LeBron James belongs anywhere outside of positions 1-5 when discussing his current skill level. And if we're being honest, it's totally understandable.
LeBron James will turn 37 during the upcoming season, but no other point-forward can be relied upon to impact games as much as he can. Last season, LeBron James ranked in the 100th percentile for assist:usage ratio, that is how many assists a player made compared to how many times they had the ball on offense.
The scary part is, LeBron James has been in the top six percent for his playmaking:usage rate for the majority of his career.
In a recent article from NBA.com, LeBron James was listed as the third best player in the NBA.
That LeBron is even in the conversation for the top spot ahead of his 19th season is incredible, and he has plenty of motivation to reclaim the throne. - Gilbert McGregor NBA.COM
It's worth noting that both players who finished ahead of LeBron James (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant) are considerably younger than him. It further strengthens the argument that LeBron James is immune to the effects of aging, or at least it seems that way.
Throughout his entire career, LeBron James has been reported to have spent ludicrously large sums of money on his body, ensuring he's always in optimal physical shape.
"James is one of the most physically dominant players in the league, but it doesn't all come naturally. James is said to spend seven figures a year — with one report saying $1.5 million — to take care of his body. That covers costs from his home gym, trainers, massage therapists, chefs, appliances, and more." - Scott Davis, Business Insider.
Should LeBron James avoid another injury this season and figure out how to dominate games with his passing and jump-shooting, there's every chance that he will reclaim his throne as the best player in the world. That would have to cement LeBron James' greatness beyond his on-court achievements.
LeBron James' NBA legacy is far more than championship rings and MVP titles
Rings and MVP titles are a great way to remember a player's impact on the league during their playing time, but no other player has remained as dominant as LeBron James for as long as he has.
But how much longer can LeBron James keep this up? Contracted until the end of the 2022-23 season, LeBron will again be hitting free agency, except this time he could be looking for a contract that would take him into his 40's, if he doesn't retire after his current deal ends.
More importantly, if LeBron James is still ranked within the NBA's "Top 5" by the end of next season, how much longer could he sustain staying atop the mountain? And would he realistically want to stay around for his decline?
It seems far more likely that LeBron James is going to remain an elite player for the final few chapters of his legendary career, at which point he is likely to bow out on his terms.
Otherwise, he could end up being the NBA's own Tom Brady - defying what we know about the body's limitations as we enter middle-age and redefining expectations of aging veterans.
Brady, like Lebron, is an anomaly - they're exceptions to the rule. But both of these evergreen titans will eventually succumb to the icy touch of Father Time. The question is if they want the rest of the world to be watching when it happens.
