In the world of professional basketball, where athleticism often diminishes with age, LeBron James stands as a beacon of longevity and excellence. Despite his age, James continues to dominate the NBA, leaving fans and analysts alike in awe of his enduring success on the court.

At 39 years old, LeBron James shows no sign of slowing down. He might even be getting better with age, defying the conventional wisdom that athletes inevitably decline as they grow older. While many of his peers have already retired or seen a decline in their performance, James remains a force to be reckoned with, consistently delivering stellar performances night after night.

He led the NBA’s 39-year-old players who have ever played in points per game, at 25.7 last season. The numbers that he is putting up is by far the most extreme anyone has ever seen at his age.

While many players have played at the age of 39, this is not the case for NBA career longevity. James reached his 21st season in the NBA last year, a milestone only five others have reached in NBA history.

However, it is clear that LeBron is miles ahead of the competition in terms of performing at the highest level in his 21st season. Only Vince Carter played more games in his 21st season than LeBron but could not score anywhere close to James’s production.

But how does he do it? Is LeBron genetically engineered to play basketball forever? Or has he just changed his game to better adapt to the changing league?

To begin answering these questions, we must first look back on what LeBron James was as a player in his “prime” years.

Throughout his illustrious career, LeBron has compiled what may have been the most complete package of skills in basketball a player can achieve.

He began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, earning the NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2004 and leading the team to multiple playoff appearances and a historic NBA Finals berth in 2007. In 2010, LeBron then moved to the Miami Heat where he spearheaded four straight NBA Finals appearances with two NBA Championships in 2012 and 2013. James then returned to Cleveland in 2014 with a promise to win the team their first NBA Championship, a promise he fulfilled spectacularly in 2016.

This leads us to the current-day Los Angeles Lakers, where LeBron has signed since 2018. It is with this franchise that James broke the total NBA scoring record and continues to play into his 22nd season.

“I would never ever in a million years dreamt this even better than what it is tonight.” – Lebron James on breaking the NBA scoring record

It’s clear from the tape that LeBron no longer has that lightning-quick first step or the sheer athletic vertical that he had in his youth. However, he still continues to be an extremely efficient scorer right at the rim. According to NBA.com’s stat records of the 2023-24 regular season, LeBron has made 547 field goals in the restricted area with a 73.3% success rate.

But how exactly is he maintaining this level of scoring at the rim if he is becoming older and losing his peak agility and athleticism?

LeBron’s athleticism has inevitably diminished to some extent. However, to remain effective on the court, James has shifted his focus toward maximizing his basketball IQ and his shot-making. Improving his outside shooting, especially the 3-point shot, has opened up more scoring opportunities.

His two most prolific scoring attempts come from right at the rim (in the restricted area), and behind the 3-point line. This is unprecedented from his past years, as LeBron has not utilized the three balls as a tool in his belt for scoring.

Not only is he shooting the 3-pointer more often in recent seasons, but his 2-point shot attempts have actually also dropped as well.

It is clear that LeBron has deliberately cut back on his 2-point field goal attempts while increasing his 3-point effectiveness. This improvement in his 3-point shooting has opened up new dimensions in his game; defenders can no longer sag off him and clog the paint, forcing them to pick their poison between a powerful drive to the basket or a shot made from downtown.

LeBron’s basketball IQ is also put under much more utility in his later years, leaning more heavily on his mental acuity and strategic understanding of the game. His assist numbers have been above his career average this season, leading to better winning opportunities for his teammates.

He even earned an assist title in the 2019-20 season with a career-high 10.2 assists per game. This shift in focus from being a primary scorer to also passing the ball to his teammates allows him to maintain his scoring threat on the defense while still keeping his body intact.

However, there has to be some drawbacks to his game now, right?

Even with LeBron’s ridiculous longevity, his age is still a factor that he cannot stop. His defensive metrics have taken a toll from his decline in athleticism and conditioning. Statistics reveal a downward trend in LeBron’s defensive performance, and while his offensive numbers continue to shine, there is a growing consensus among many NBA analysts that James’s defensive impact is not what it once was.

At his peak, LeBron had multiple years of Defensive Player of the Year voting and All-Defensive team selections. He has not received either of these awards since the 2017-18 season.

He often patrolled the paint to swat away any shot attempts and hounded perimeter players with his lateral quickness and agility, but in recent seasons he no longer has the intensity he once had on the defensive end.

While he can still produce the occasional highlight-reel block or steal, it is clear that LeBron has put his defensive mindset in the backseat to continue on his offensive endeavors.

“Defensively, he’s a nightmare… He wasn’t contesting his threes; he wasn’t doing anything.” – Ric Bucher, NBA Reporter

While this may be a defensive decline from what he once was, LeBron is still an elite defender in comparison to all NBA players in their 21st season.

In the context of LeBron’s 21st season, he is performing just as well as any other NBA player has in their 21st season as well, if not even better on the defensive end.

Even in the tail end of his career, James is still providing defensive value as a 6’9 power forward with nearly 3-win contributions from defense.

At the end of the day, LeBron James continues to make history as one of the oldest and tenured NBA players ever, and maintains his superior efficiency and value. Even with his defensive drop, the Los Angeles Lakers know to surround him with capable defenders, such as Anthony Davis, to make up for his lost defensive art and squeeze as much offensive output as they can.

The 2024-25 season has not started yet, but it is clear that LeBron James still has much more basketball left to play.