NBA: LeBron James' longevity is astounding
LeBron James is the best players in the NBA today and has been the best for the last decade or so. He's won three Championships in this decade including that historic run in the Finals when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers and beat the Golden State Warriors after being down 3-1 in the series.
He' a 3 x NBA Champion, 3 x Finals MVP, 4 x NBA MVP, and 14 x All-Star. His resume is as impressive as it gets but what's even more impressive is that at age 34, he's still the face of the NBA.
LeBron James was drafted as the #1 Overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Let's look at some of the players that were drafted in 2003 and what they're doing now to put into perspective the incredible nature of LeBron's longevity. The top 5 picks included Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Carmelo Anthony was a part of the Big 3 in OKC last year and landed up in Houston this year but after 10 games, the Rockets decided to part ways with him because he was past his prime. He wasn't nearly as fit as he once was and he was a liability on the defensive end. I hate to admit it but Melo's NBA career could very well be over for real.
Chris Bosh played his last game on February 9, 2016, as a member of a Miami Heat. He had to quit playing because of blood-clotting issues but earlier this year, he said - "I’m looking forward to the challenge. I know I can still play some ball and be a 3-and-D guy for somebody out there.” Injuries are unfortunate but Bosh still hopes to play for an NBA team.
Dwane Wade won an NBA Championship before LeBron James but he will retire at the end of this season because he feels his body cannot deal with the physical requirements of the League anymore.
And then there's LeBron James who's aging like fine wine and continues to put up ridiculous numbers night after night and looks immune to father time. With everyone in his draft class being either irrelevant, retired or on the verge of retirement, King James is giving young guns like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis who are both under 26 years of age some serious competition in the MVP race.