With the kickoff of the new season, Lebron James officially became the oldest active player in the NBA. Yet James, who will turn 39 in December, led his team in scoring with 21 points in their opening game as he continues to defy age and produce at a high level.
“It’s crazy how productive he is for his age, most players as old as he is fall off and aren’t as good, but Lebron is still one of the best in the league,” sophomore Grady Britt said.
In his 21st season as an NBA player, James looks to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to another NBA championship. He also is on pace to break many records, as he aims to become the first player in NBA history to have 40,000 career regular-season points.
“With all the records and accomplishments he has, anything more is really just icing on the cake for his legacy,” freshman Jason Qin said
Lebron’s basketball legacy is one of the greatest ever. A four-time NBA champion with three different teams (the Lakers, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers), Lebron has won four MVP awards, is a 19-time NBA All-Star, and has been elected to the All-NBA First Team a record 13 times.
He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is the only player in NBA history with at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists. He is talked about with the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the greatest basketball players of all time.
“He’s definitely one of the best athletes of this generation; the amount of time he’s dominated his sport is unprecedented,” senior Sasha Kleyner said.
With over 20 years in the NBA, an entire generation of basketball players and fans have grown up, with Lebron being one of the best players in the world. He has created a lifetime of memories and moments, both good and bad, for people to enjoy.
“My favorite Lebron moment is when he came back from down three games to one to win the finals against the [Golden State] Warriors in 2016. It was crazy to watch those games live,” Britt said.
“My favorite Lebron moment was when he lost to my favorite team, the Dallas Mavericks in the finals in 2011. He didn’t play well in that series, and it got my team their first ever championship,” Kleyner said.
Even though age has not affected his scoring, Lebron plans on retiring soon. Having played since 2003, a Lebron-less NBA will be a shock as many have only watched the league while Lebron has dominated.
“When Lebron retires, I will be kinda sad because of the impact he’s had on the league, but I’ll also be happy because he won’t be able to drop 30 on the Hornets every time he plays them,” Qin said
When Lebron does retire, he will be remembered for what he is: one of the greatest basketball players of all time and a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.
