"As long NBA never check PEDs" - NBA fans leave no stone unturned to roast LeBron James as he enters year 21
Throughout his career, LeBron James has remained one of the best players in the NBA. Entering his 21st season in the league, it would seem that he has slowed down a bit but whenever he steps on that court, he plays as if he has not lost a step all these years.
Back in the 2003 NBA draft, James was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was drafted ahead of his contemporaries Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. Be that as it may, he ended up exceeding all expectations with his skills and continues to dominate the court even now.
Recently, NBA History uploaded a picture of LeBron James on X, comparing his media day look back from his rookie 2003-04 season to the coming 2023-24 season.
The physical differences are all there as a number of NBA fans reacted to the image as well.
"He gonna play until 43 as long NBA never check PEDs."
From the fan reactions alone, it feels as if LeBron James has been around forever with how long he has been in the league. In the 20 seasons that he has played, the Lakers star has averaged 27.2 points per game (50.5% shooting, including 34.5% from 3-point range), 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists.
LeBron James talks about how long he intends to play in the NBA
During the 2022-23 season, ESPN's Dave McMenamin asked LeBron James during postgame interviews how many more seasons he plans to play in. The postgame interviews were done following the Lakers 112-98 loss to the Miami Heat.
"I don't have a number," James said. "I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute. Now, that's up to my mind. My body is going to be okay because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of, and I'll continue to put in the work. So, I'm a winner, and I want to win."
"And I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships," James added. "That has always been my passion, that has always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio. So, we'll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple of years."
From James' comments alone, he wants to see how far he can go when it comes to playing basketball. He has been playing it from an early age and has grown into dominating it in the years that he has matured as an athlete.
In the 2022-23 season, LeBron James finished it by averaging 28.9 ppg (50.0% shooting, including 32.1% from 3-point range), 8.3 rpg and 6.8 apg.
His Los Angeles Lakers squad got into a Western Conference Finals matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets but ended up getting swept. Despite the 4-0 series loss, James still averaged incredible numbers at 27.8 ppg (51.9% shooting, including 26.9% from 3-point range), 10.0 apg and 5.0 rpg.