Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts against the LA Clippers.
LeBron James continues to be a dominant force in the NBA despite being 40 years old and in his 23rd season in the pros.
The Los Angeles Lakers star is averaging 20.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting an efficient 50.7% from the field. James’ brilliance was on full display during Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, during which he missed just two shots.
James shot 11-of-13 from the field, finishing with 24 points as the Lakers blew out the Kings 125-101. He also tallied three rebounds, five assists and two steals, while committing just two turnovers.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
After the game, James was naturally asked about his ability to perform this late in his career while pushing his limits despite being in his 40s. It’s worth noting that the Lakers forward will turn 41 on Tuesday.
In response, James recalled the commercial he did with Nike to promote his LeBron XX sneakers back in 2022. In the video, he was battling “Father Time” (starring Jason Momoa) in a series of tests.
“I remember working with LeBron 20 or 21 when I did the ‘Father Time’ commercial thing,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “You know, I’m in a battle with him [Father Time] and I would like to say I’m kicking his [expletive] on the backend.”
James is certainly performing at a level that only a few other players have achieved late in their careers. For one, in Michael Jordan’s final year in the NBA — his age-39 season — he averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals.
It remains to be seen if James will be able to maintain his production throughout the campaign, but as he has shown time and time again, Father Time has yet to really catch up to him fully.