Lakers coach JJ Redick said that watching LeBron James maintain elite athleticism and physical conditioning at age 41 makes him feel like a "loser," highlighting the superstar's remarkable dedication to preparing his body.
LeBron James may be 41 years old, but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar continues to age like fine wine.
On Wednesday, James delivered another standout performance, leading the Lakers to a 124-116 victory over the Houston Rockets.
In 34 minutes, LeBron produced a near-perfect game, finishing with 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting, along with five rebounds and two assists. It was the first time he shot 13-for-14 from the field since 2013.
"The one shot he missed, he was trying to foul bait. I mean, that's the biggest thing," coach JJ Redick said after the game. "Look, he was awesome tonight. I think part of the evolution of him on this team has just been his patience. His patience: knowing he's going to get the ball, he's going to have transition opportunities, he's going to have plays called for him, he's going to play off-ball and get a corner three.
"He's played really patiently. I thought he did a great job in the first half – he hits the two threes early and then gets out in transition a bunch, then we used him a ton off-ball with some of our off-ball singles and in the horns chin action. He was great."
After the game, a reporter asked Redick, also 41, what he thinks about James' ability to still finish above the rim at this stage of his career.
"I can touch the rim still. Yeah. I can't jump for three days after it, but I've got one jump in me," Redick said with a smile. "No, I saw this on Instagram – there's a 'Four Burner Theory' when you're trying to achieve something, there are four burners on a stove: work, health, family, and friends. It's very hard to have all four burners going.
"For me, in-season, it's work and family. My health sucks. And watching him actually makes me feel like a loser every time he falls on the ground or gets hit hard in transition, because I feel it too, and I'm just so out of shape right now," Redick added.
"It's remarkable, the preparation he puts into his body over and over again. To me, it's the ultimate sign of competitive stamina. He just holds onto it every single day and gets ready to ring the bell."
James is a major reason the Lakers are currently riding a seven-game winning streak, improving to 44-25, good for third place in the Western Conference.
"There's a lot of things that are really good right now," Redick noted. "High level of people embracing the roles that the team needs. I think our guys are doing a fantastic job of making in-game adjustments as we toggle through different defenses or different things we want to exploit on the offensive end.
"From where we were earlier in the season, just being able to execute in-game and embracing those roles... It's just at a much higher level right now."
The Lakers will face the Miami Heat on the second night of a back-to-back, and LeBron has already made it clear he wants to play.
"I'm gonna go take care of my body. We got a back-to-back tomorrow, and I want to be ready to play," James said post-game.
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