LeBron James on how his game has evolved to counter lack of athleticism: "I could go out and just figure out things once I jumped in the air"

LeBron James, who will turn 38 this year, is still playing at a remarkably high level in his 20th season in the NBA. No one in the history of the league has blended durability and basketball brilliance the way he has done throughout his career.

Here’s what James had to say when asked about how he has maintained his level of play despite fading athleticism:

“I don’t have to rely on super duper athleticism to be effective. From my first 11, 12 years of my career, I was just super duper athletic and not be as efficient in the actual basketball game. I could go out and just figure things out once I jumped in the air.

“My first few years, I knew that if I could take off, I will be there a lot longer than you, you’re gonna land before me and I’ll figure it out after that. But I’m also smart enough to know that in order for me to be the best player I needed to be I gotta continue to grow my game.”

Scouts and executives raved about LeBron James' NBA-ready body when he jumped from high school to pro. And true enough, the “L-Train” moniker quickly became popular because of his nearly unstoppable drives to the basket.

LeBron James said that could be inefficient as his freakish athleticism can oftentimes let him get away with many things. In his first decade in the NBA, he hit 49.0% of his field-goal attempts. He has averaged 52.3% with his shots in the next 10 years.

The four-time MVP’s much-maligned 3-point shot also improved during that same stretch from 33.7% in his first ten years to 35.3% in the next ten. The same goes with his eFG, which rose from 52.4% to 57.2%.

He’s no longer the perpetually fast and overwhelming physical force of nature, particularly during fastbreaks, but he’s still a problem for most. James has little by little incorporated guile and savvy into his trademark barreling drives to the hoop to compensate for the fading athleticism.

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LeBron James' fading athleticism is one more reason to make Anthony Davis the Lakers’ go-to guy

The LA Lakers need LeBron James to take a backseat to Anthony Davis.

LeBron James can still dominate games, but expecting him to carry the LA Lakers to a grueling 82-game schedule is far-fetched. The 18x All-Star can still pick his time to do the heavy lifting but should take a backseat to the younger Anthony Davis.

AD has been on a tear over the last two weeks, particularly when “King James” was sidelined with a groin injury. The Lakers know how much they need Davis to sustain his aggression even when James is on the floor.

LA Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal urged Anthony Davis not to play second fiddle to "King James" when they’re playing together. The Hall of Famer noted how his former team has been playing their best basketball when AD is consistently involved.

LeBron James has oftentimes forced the issue in the fourth quarter, which has not ended well for the Lakers. They shockingly lost to the Indiana Pacers after holding a 17-point lead earlier this week.

The four-time MVP hit only two of his eight shots in the final frame against Indiana. He was a factor in why the Lakers lost momentum by holding on to the ball for too long and for taking highly-contested shots.

Ten years ago, the GOAT candidate’s freakish athleticism could have let him get away with such things, but not anymore. Against the Portland Trail Blazers last night, the Lakers consistently went to Anthony Davis and it paid off handsomely as they won 128-109.

LA still needs LeBron James, but the team will have to be smart about when to maximize his still elite-level skills.

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