How Is LeBron Playing At Such A High Level? Unreal...

[BodieB]

It’s not about scoring look at how he is moving, lol. He is moving like 28 year old.

If it was just the scoring making him look nice old guys like Chris Paul wouldn’t look washed .

I question if the people that say this watched this guy play at 28. He's clearly not the athlete he was in his prime. Not even close.

I didn’t say a 28 Lebron, I meant a 28 year old in general.

Gotcha. Yeah, maybe better than a 28 year old actually lol.

[Anticon]

Honestly think the "Lebron on PEDs" thing is the most annoying point since the Ibaka is old story. No proof but just absolute certainty on it.

He's the best combo of speed, skill, strength and smarts the league has ever seen, and NBA rules/defences are easier than 20 years ago. For someone that smart the game will be easy so long as his body cooperates.

[Slim Charlez]

At this point I'd be more surprised to see him cooked than being awesome at 40.

[elchengue20]

It's pathetic there is some people hating all they can on something we are never going to see again.

What hes doing its just crazy and defies all logic. If it was as easy as getting PEDs or taking benefit of the rules, we would bee seeing other 39 years old playing at Superstar level, but there isnt anyone close.

At this point its obvious he's just the GOAT or at least 1B in basketball history, if you don't want to see it, that's your problem.

[Marrrcuss]

To me what differentiates him that much from other historical old NBA players is simply that from a body/genetics perspective he really is a one in a billion lottery winner and he just was very lucky to never have a serious injury (the kind you never totally recover from).

Of course he obviously takes great care of his body and he spends a lot in all sort of health related science, from nutrition and personal therapist for recovery to more traditional medical care (the amount of 1.5M$/year is what's reported by a few sources) but most of the "old" all-time great also took great care of their body and could not avoid creaky knees and injuries that makes you slow-down a lot.

I never was a fan of his game but looking at him moving like he was in his early 30's rather than almost 40 is really astonishing and defies traditional body physics.

I agree, some of it is his perfect landing and jumping technique. Even back in 2010 I remember a physio breaking down how LeBron always lands perfectly in terms of minimizing strain on his lower body. It's text book.

One thing most people miss here is that LeBron's basketball IQ is probably the highest of all, he's taken the game to a point where he manages himself and picks spots during a game. You can see his age, it comes up in meters moved per second on the court. He was moving less and less over the Cavs stint and was bottom of the league as soon as he came to Lakers.

The game management part of his game has kept him young and has kept him playing well. A night like tonight was special, he still goes all out for playoffs and now it seemss IST.

Conversely, I remember Kobe seeming to land awkwardly more than he should have.

[Homer38]

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[Goomba3666]

2 big reasons imo.

1. He has never endured a career threatening injury.

2. He stopped playing possession to possession defense a long time ago and spends his energy on offense.

10000% spot on. No real injury + playing one side of the ball. The zone defense the Lakers are playing helps too.

[Goomba3666]

Sad part is that AD's inconsistency and lack of desire to be the #1 keeps forcing LeBron to be superman. Imagine if LeBron could play 28-30mpg and build it up come playoffs time instead of burning it down by then trying to will this team to win games.

AD plays like the number one guy on most nights. Hands down. Some nights, with teams as soft as thr Suns, the mismatch is Lebron vs Grayson Allen or whoever else.

But AD is still the most important and productive player on the team if you watch the games.

[Heej]

He obviously does stuff with his body other guys don't have access to. It may not be PED's but its something. Dude sold his soul long ago thats for sure. What it means beyond that nobody really knows.

If he really sold his soul he'd be getting MJ calls. Bron is just like that. Didn't have to give up his entire life fulfillment like Expansion Emperor did.

[Meat]

He's clearly on gear.

prob the only one ever in the history of the league, that's why it's only ever worked for him.

As someone on gear, i dont think most of you know how gear works

[Goomba3666]

Sad part is that AD's inconsistency and lack of desire to be the #1 keeps forcing LeBron to be superman. Imagine if LeBron could play 28-30mpg and build it up come playoffs time instead of burning it down by then trying to will this team to win games.

Preach!!!

If he had a guy to take the team on their shoulders for several games at a time or etc the energy he'd conserve would be unimaginable and extend his career even further which is... I don't even know what to call it. I guess unimaginable again?

This is exactly what the world is telling AD and LeBron is showing him. James is like look dude if you take over I can ride alot further with YOU vs you riding with ME.

This is literally what happens though. AD got Nurkic into foul trouble, forces opponents to change their shots at the rim about 15× per game, plays GREAT defense, and gives the opposing team fits with his diverse offense. He won't sore 33 every night, but everything starts and finishes with him. Period.

[levon]

It is truly amazing. Outside of his passing I do kinda find his game aesthetically boring BUT how great he has been for how long he has played is unbelievable. The one thing I really can't understand is how he's still pretty explosive and still has elite hops at his age. Vince Carter known as the GOAT dunker by many was clearly on the decline explosively by his last year with the Nets when he gave the reigns of the team to Devin Harris - he then spent the majority of the rest of his career as a 3&D type of player relying on jumpshooting and the 3pt emphasis change in the NBA to stay somewhat relevenat in the league. Meanwhile, LeBron at his age is still an elite athlete that is still a Franchise guy. It makes no sense.

He is as much a genetic freak as Shaq.

There are other examples of elite athletes staying above average into their own age. Jeff Green still gets up for the occasional nasty finish. I remember Richard Jefferson's dunks on Christmas Day against the Warriors, and I believe he was also 37. I think when you start off as one of the greatest athletes ever and press the right buttons, it's not unreasonable that you'll have throwback athletic moments once every five games, especially with an extra day of rest at home.

The games prior LeBron looked sluggish and old. In Cleveland, he put up 9 3s, going 1-9. No legs.

[TorontoBarneys]

He's clearly on gear.

prob the only one ever in the history of the league, that's why it's only ever worked for him.

As someone on gear, i dont think most of you know how gear works

I doubt you're on the kind of gear that he's on, so I doubt you know, either.

[Goomba3666]

To me what differentiates him that much from other historical old NBA players is simply that from a body/genetics perspective he really is a one in a billion lottery winner and he just was very lucky to never have a serious injury (the kind you never totally recover from).

Of course he obviously takes great care of his body and he spends a lot in all sort of health related science, from nutrition and personal therapist for recovery to more traditional medical care (the amount of 1.5M$/year is what's reported by a few sources) but most of the "old" all-time great also took great care of their body and could not avoid creaky knees and injuries that makes you slow-down a lot.

I never was a fan of his game but looking at him moving like he was in his early 30's rather than almost 40 is really astonishing and defies traditional body physics.

I agree, some of it is his perfect landing and jumping technique. Even back in 2010 I remember a physio breaking down how LeBron always lands perfectly in terms of minimizing strain on his lower body. It's text book.

One thing most people miss here is that LeBron's basketball IQ is probably the highest of all, he's taken the game to a point where he manages himself and picks spots during a game. You can see his age, it comes up in meters moved per second on the court. He was moving less and less over the Cavs stint and was bottom of the league as soon as he came to Lakers.

The game management part of his game has kept him young and has kept him playing well. A night like tonight was special, he still goes all out for playoffs and now it seemss IST.

Conversely, I remember Kobe seeming to land awkwardly more than he should have.

Lol. Funny. I remember Jalen Rose admitting to undercutting Kobe to intentionally take him out of the 2000 finals. And then remember Dahntay Jones intentionally undercutting him in Atlanta to injured him as well.

No such thing as Kobe 'landing awkwardly' due to an 'IQ'. One of the most delusional things I've heard on this forum. Lol

[tsherkin]

Fantastic to watch. Lebron's awesome, even 20+ years in. Greatness.

[Meat]

He's clearly on gear.

prob the only one ever in the history of the league, that's why it's only ever worked for him.

As someone on gear, i dont think most of you know how gear works

I doubt you're on the kind of gear that he's on, so I doubt you know, either.

So you don't know how gear works, just say that

All gear has to convert to be absorbed cuz we as humans all have the same receptors. The only thing designer gear is able to do is eliminate side effects. So doesn't matter what he's taking, it's converting to the same thing my gear is converting to in the body.

[NyKnicks1714]

A little off topic but there are no two players in the league right now I want to see go head to head more than LeBron and KD.

[Kingdibs19]

He’s the goat and it’s not even close at this point.

So much so that Jordansexuals have no excuses left then making up unproven fan fiction “PEDS!”

[homecourtloss]

1/3 modern medicine (including copious amounts of PEDs)
1/3 winning the genetic sweepstakes (he had nothing to do with this)
1/3 playing in the easiest era to score in NBA history with relaxed rules for offense and strict rules for defense while games are played at a faster pace with more possessions as a result.

All the hate is absolutely hilarious.

As for the rules for offense, why is James also doing much better than league average?

+5.7 TS% above league average, top 10 in the NBA among all even moderately high usage players.
+7.1 eFG% above league average. He’s tied for 2nd in the league with Curry behind in eFG% among moderately high usage players. He was #1 last week.

I guess not everyone can be -5.2 TS% or -2.8 TS% or -5.7 eFG% or -2.4% eFG% compared to league average.

Throughout James' entire 21-year career, people have made excuses for his good play.

Just think about that. People have been trying to nefariously explain his basketball brilliance for TWENTY-ONE long years rather than simply accepting that maybe—just maybe—he IS one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. They've been stuck on the first stage of Grief and Coping since 2003.

Perfectly stated.

[dhsilv2]

Honestly think the "Lebron on PEDs" thing is the most annoying point since the Ibaka is old story. No proof but just absolute certainty on it.

He's the best combo of speed, skill, strength and smarts the league has ever seen, and NBA rules/defences are easier than 20 years ago. For someone that smart the game will be easy so long as his body cooperates.

I'll never get why people think it's totally normal for half the dudes at their local gym who look like poop shirtless to use gear, but they think ANY of the best athletes aren't using PED's.