Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Superstar LeBron James, who is about to turn 39, is set to have another exciting season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James is struggling to finish the 2022-23 season with a foot injury, but he looks as healthy as ever this season. James has his normal explosiveness and explosiveness, as evidenced by his stellar basketball scoring season.
The 21-year-old veteran continues to achieve major milestones in his career. For example, he became the first player in NBA history to score 39,000 career points, a huge accomplishment for someone who considers himself more of a playmaker than a scorer.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd watched James up close when he was an assistant coach with the Lakers, and he was surprised by James’ performance later in his career.
“Yeah, I’m jealous,” Kidd said before Wednesday’s game between the Mavericks and Lakers. “I’m definitely jealous of what he’s been able to do at this stage of his career. He looks like he’s 25 or 27, somewhere in between.
“Listen, he looks great. But I think with the understanding that comes with being around LeBron, he’s going to take care of his body. Everybody talks about his body, but I think it’s more about his mind. . Just because he’s young, he doesn’t feel old. He’s full of energy, loves the game of basketball, and always wants to prove that he can play at a high level, or prove others wrong. He’s doing that now…if he wants to He would have probably played 50 games. But what’s amazing is his spirit and his energy, he comes to work every day knowing that he’s never on the radar and there’s always millions of people watching him and just hoping he fails or fails. Don’t do it well. He always goes out there not just to prove those guys wrong but to play the game the right way. He’s a champion. His IQ is off the charts and he knows people before they do them What he’s doing. But I just think every summer he’s always trying to add something to his game, and he’s been playing for 50 years now. “It’s amazing that he can do 50 different things every summer. . “
Kidd and James have a close relationship dating back to their time on Team USA, and Kidd knows what it takes to excel at the NBA level. However, what James did was unprecedented and should not be taken for granted by anyone who loves basketball.
How LeBron James reacts to becoming first player to reach 39,000 points
James may not consider himself a scorer at heart, but given his consistent performance over the years, that’s not the case with his game. When asked how it felt to be the first person to reach the 39,000-point threshold, James said he couldn’t accept it.
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