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In the latest NBA News, Chris Paul has given his take on LeBron James' longevity in the league. As the LA Lakers superstar approaches his 18th year in the league, there have been questions surrounding whether he can still cut it as a veteran. If last season is anything to go by, we already have an answer. Throughout their time in the NBA, Chris Paul has built up a close friendship with LeBron and discussed on J.J. Redick's podcast how he sees LeBron's future.
NBA News Roundup: Chris Paul believes LeBron James will be in the league for a lot longer than people believe
Chris Paul and LeBron James have both had stellar careers and play a key role in how the league is represented in the media, as leading figures of the NBA. In this time, they have developed a bond as friends off the court. Therefore, it is no surprise that Chris Paul had strong opinions regarding LeBron's future, a topic which has been hotly discussed in NBA News recently. When discussing on J.J. Redick's podcast, 'The Old Man and the Three', how immense LeBron James has been despite his age, Paul had this to say:
"I don't listen to the talking heads but they're like 'Oh, he's not going to be this this year' and I'm just like you're all dummies. You all don't know. I'm not surprised by it because I know how he trains, I know his discipline. All that stuff that you're all seeing, it ain't going away any time soon."
Paul continued to praise LeBron James and discussed why he will be able to last so long in the game at such a high level:
"Once you find what works and what you know, there's a discipline about it, its a competitiveness. All that goes into it, there's even some vanity to it too. 'Bron ain't slowing down anytime soon."
Recently, James signed a contract extension worth $85 million across two additional years with the Lakers. The new deal runs through the 2022-23 season, at which point James will become a free agent at the age of 38. The LA Lakers have had an impressive offseason, however, locking in LeBron James for another two years could be their best piece of business even with the hefty price tag.
LeBron James led the Lakers to their 17th NBA Championship last season and shows no signs of letting up at the age of 35. LeBron led the league in assists, picked up his fourth Finals MVP award, and formed a clinical partnership with Anthony Davis.
Going into the 2020-21 NBA season, the LA Lakers have added depth to their roster and have arguably made their starting 5 stronger. Constantly mentioned in NBA News is the G.O.A.T debate and with the current Lakers team, as well as his incredible fitness levels, LeBron James may be able to reach Michael Jordan in Championship wins and end the discussion. Supported by Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder at the point, LeBron could easily guide the Lakers to back-to-back titles.
After what Chris Paul has said, we can expect LeBron James to continue achieving at the highest level as he has done his whole career for some time yet.
