All NBA fans have been blown away watching LeBron James beat back Father Time and somehow remain one of the best basketball players alive as he reaches 40 years old.
And some people have been lucky enough to see some of his career up close.
Shane Battier is one of those people because he spent years playing alongside James with the Miami Heat.
Speaking to SiriusXM NBA Radio, Battier expressed how amazed he is by James’ longevity and spoke about what separates him from everyone else.
He noted that James was incredibly dedicated to treating his body well, pushing it to the limit, and always taking care of himself.
After games, he would spend hours – and millions of dollars – on massages, exercises, and other methods of keeping his physical health.
“You’re a better man than most of us,” Battier said, before adding, “That’s a grind for anybody.”
“That’s what separates him from everybody else.”@ShaneBattier tells @TheFrankIsola and @Scalabrine that his former teammate, LeBron James, is still going strong#HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/Wmrn6QsV9G
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 11, 2024
James will be 40 this year and is still scoring more than 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists per game.
But this isn’t just some fluke.
Instead, it’s all because James has spent many years focused on the right things.
He started when he was still a very young man knowing that he wanted to be in the NBA for many seasons to come.
He didn’t take anything for granted and recognized that he had to do anything he could to keep his body in pristine condition.
So far, it’s worked.
James’ greatness isn’t just about his physicality, of course, because he also has a brilliant mind and one of the highest basketball IQs in the league.
Because of how he treats his body and how he values his mind, James could still play and have a huge impact for a few more seasons.
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