National Basketball Association

LeBron James shows no signs of slowing down as he turns 37

Updated Dec. 30, 2021 5:28 p.m. ET

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By Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer

LeBron James' greatness is so axiomatic that it's easy to overlook what's happening.

Thursday, Dec. 30, is LeBron's birthday. He is 37 years old, which is the equivalent of about 97 in basketball years, yet he's still putting up 30-point performances as though he were in his prime.

We all need to take a second to appreciate the absurdity of that.

It's unheard of. Most other superstars experience a steep decline in performance at that age, if not before.

There's Kobe Bryant, who announced at age 37 that the 2015-16 season would be his last. He went on to average 17.6 points in 28.2 minutes a game, a huge drop-off from the career-high 35.4 points in 41 minutes that he averaged in 2005-06.

Or there's Michael Jordan, who came back from retirement at age 38 in 2001 to play two seasons for the Washington Wizards. He averaged 21.2 PPG on 43% shooting in that time, a much lower mark than the career-high 37.1 points on 48% shooting that he averaged for the Chicago Bulls in 1986-87.

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For James, there has hardly been any difference in his stats.

This season, he is averaging 28 points on 52% shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 37.2 minutes per game. His highest scoring average was 31.4 points in 2005-06 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he shot 48% from the field and averaged seven rebounds and 6.6 assists.

It's absolutely stunning.

James doesn't change. He doesn't grow old. He doesn't slow down. He doesn't decline. He posts on social media about the fine red wines he's drinking, but he has aged better than any of those bottles.

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Even more incredible is that unlike Bryant — who ended his career coming off a laundry list of injuries, including a devastating ruptured Achilles in 2013 — James has somehow managed to avoid serious injury throughout his career. In fact, his longest absence was last season, when he missed 20 games because of an ankle sprain.

And unlike Jordan, James has been playing nonstop since he was in middle school. Jordan, of course, had four-plus years away from the NBA, including his foray into baseball, before coming back from his second retirement.

In terms of longevity, James is in a league of his own.

"You can't put it into words what that guy has been able to do for as long as he has been able to do it," Suns coach Monty Williams said. "And I'm not just talking about the pros. I mean, I heard about him when he was in the eighth, ninth grade, and he has been able to play at such a ridiculous level with that kind of pressure for almost 30 years.

"He's probably the greatest athlete I've ever seen. And now he's in his 19th year, and even with all of the injuries and all of the things he's dealt with, he's still playing at an extremely high level. I've never seen anything like that."

James, of course, wasn't supposed to be shouldering such a significant load this season.

In a recent episode of Spectrum Sportsnet's "Backstage Lakers," general manager Rob Pelinka acknowledged that the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook because James needed help. "We couldn't rely on him as the sole engine for our team," Pelinka said.

But Westbrook has struggled with inconsistency and turnovers all season. And the team's other superstar, Anthony Davis, is out at least four weeks because of a knee sprain. But even before Davis suffered the injury, the Lakers were somehow only marginally better in terms of offensive rating when he was on the court (105.4) compared to when he was off it (104.8).

James has been doing it all.

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Most other guys in their 19th season have a ceremonial position on the team. Take Tim Duncan's 19th and final season in San Antonio. At that point, he was the wise, old man in the locker room who played only when he felt like it. He averaged career lows in points (8.6), rebounds (7.3) and minutes (25.2), having ceded the reins to Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.

James doesn't have that luxury on the Lakers, who are two games below .500 with a record of 17-19. And even if he had the option to slow down, he'd probably laugh it off. He shuns load management. He denies needing rest. He balks at the suggestion that he's old. On any given night, he's ripping past defenders who are still teenagers, defying the laws of physics that apply to every other athlete approaching 40.

"The credit is all his because we all know how hard he works to maintain his body, and it has paid off," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It has given him some extra years. So he gets the credit for it. It's great to see."

But even as James is playing as though no time has passed, there's something a bit unnerving about it all. No one can cheat Father Time. No amount of weightlifting or meditation can halt the accumulation of thousands of miles on a body, especially for someone who entered the league at age 18 and has endured the pounding of 10 NBA Finals appearances.

For now, though, James keeps defying logic. He has scored 30 or more points in six straight games. He went from playing point guard for the Lakers two seasons ago to playing center for the first time in his career on Tuesday against Houston. 

"I don't think you guys realize what this guy just did," Lakers acting head coach David Fizdale told reporters after that game. "This guy is unbelievable."

Not to mention, James is leading the team mentally. With Lakers coach Frank Vogel in COVID protocols, Fizdale recently said everyone is leaning on James.

"It’s not just the guys. He’s leading us, too," Fizdale said. "Sometimes there’s a misconception that it’s just the players. He’s leading me. He’s leading the whole coaching staff right now. He’s literally taking the whole weight."

It all sounds a bit exhausting. But if it's up to James, he'll go at this pace for quite a bit longer.

He signed a two-year, $85 million extension last season, and he has made one thing very clear: His dream is to remain in the league long enough to play with his son, Bronny, who is currently a junior at Sierra Canyon High and is expected to graduate in 2023.

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The earliest Bronny could enter the NBA would be 2024, so for them to play together, LeBron would need to extend his playing career through his 22nd season, tying Vince Carter's longevity record. James would be 40.

That seems so far away. It's implausible that he can keep going at this pace. But if anyone can do it, it's LeBron.

Imagine if James is still atop the league when his son is drafted. Imagine the freight train aiming straight for his own son.

Perhaps Bronny will be the player who can actually slow down LeBron. It's fun to think about.

But while the future is uncertain, this much is for sure: James keeps breaking barriers. He has extended a world-class career for much longer than anyone thought was humanly possible.

We're so used to James being great that we forget that we're currently witnessing perhaps the most impressive feat in the NBA. James is 37 years old, and he's still playing as though he were in his prime.

"We're very lucky as basketball people to get to watch what we're watching right now out of this man," Fizdale told reporters. "It's just beautiful."

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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Melissa Rohlin