LeBron James is essentially outlasting every elite athlete in the history of sports by playing his 24th season for the Philadelphia 76ers this year. James turns 42 years old in Dec., and if he fulfills the second year of his contract next season, he will have played 10 more seasons than Michael Jordan. James’ peak wasn’t as high as MJ’s by most models, but he’s trying to win the GOAT debate on longevity, and he’s certainly made it a worthwhile discussion.
Father Time doesn’t lose, and that’s even the case against a freak of nature like LeBron. James showed some signs of age on Wednesday night as his 76ers needed a big fourth quarter comeback just to get by the Indiana Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac. James was solid in the win with 13 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and three stocks, but he was also on the wrong end of two highlight plays that the internet is still talking about a day later.
Early in the second quarter, James was speeding down the court for what should have been a fastbreak dunk. Instead, Indiana’s Jalen Slawson, who is only on a two-way contract, beat him to the rim for the chasedown block. He did a LeBron to LeBron! Watch the play here:
LeBron was never caught from behind for years and years and years. There’s only so much he can do before he turns 42, though, and this time another super athlete like Slawson got the best of him. Look at Slawson talk trash to LeBron at the end of that clip. Have some respect for your elders, young man! I say this as a big Slawson fan, he was on my ‘too good for Summer League’ list this year.
As if that wasn’t ba enough, LeBron got got even worse late in the fourth quarter. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard squared up James and hit him with a dirty crossover that sent the 40-something tumbling. Nembhard missed the shot, so this clip isn’t as humiliating as it could have been.
The Sixers came back and won to improve to 4-1 on the year. That’s great. LeBron has stayed durable while so many other players have gone down with injuries early this season, and he’s poised to be a key piece of a team with championship aspirations come playoff time.
Everything LeBron is doing at this age is crazy, but he’s still showing plenty of signs of slowing down. The end is near, but LeBron is fighting for his athletic life unlike anyone we’ve ever seen before.
