Saturday 23rd November 2024,
The Hoop Doctors

LeBron Looks to Kobe on Handling Latter Part of Career

Los Angeles Lakers v Cleveland CavaliersIt feels like he’s been in the league forever, but it’s hard to believe LeBron James is still in his 20s. That all changes tomorrow when he turns 30.

For years, I’ve often wondered what LeBron James, the basketball player, would be when he began to slow down. While that may still be a bit premature, at the very least LeBron is thinking about the second half of his career and how to handle age.

B/R: Kobe Bryant (on Dec. 14) got celebrated for passing Michael Jordan in points. You’ve talked a little bit about your appreciation for what he’s done. As you watch him and the way he’s handling things six years down the line from where you are, does it make you think about how you might handle things? And also, you are more than 2,000 points ahead of where he was at age 30.

LJ: Absolutely. Absolutely. Come on, man. This is the longest shortest career of anything. I think about all the time, what’s next for me in the next couple of years, you know 35, and then if I make it to get where Kobe is, you know. How do I approach the game? And what is my mindset? And is my love for the game still there? I absolutely think about that stuff. I mean, how could you not? I mean, I’ve been in this league 12 years, and it’s not like I’m going up another 12 years. You know, my escalator is starting to tail. So I understand that.

H/T: B/R

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