Coach JJ Redick deep-dived into the superstar’s reality amid the Lakers’ misery. LeBron James is still at the top of the game. At the same time, there is no denying that he is aging and his athleticism has come down drastically. So, it’s up to the head coach to plan out special waves to extract better plays from him. Speaking of the LA Lakers superstar’s road ahead on the final lap of his career, Redick dropped an interesting update.

During the Lakers’ Summer League clash against the Houston Rockets, Redick connected with his former colleague at ESPN for a quick chat. At that time, one of the commentators asked if had undertaken any nuanced approach to deal with the “aging superstar”. Redick without any hesitation said, “We started to. That’s the great thing about LeBron and I’s relationship. Over the last six months, we have been able to be very open with each other in our conversations on the podcast, in our group texts.”

Moreover, it’s important to understand that LeBron James isn’t just another veteran baller, who is struggling to carry himself in the stages of his career. In fact, he is still the #1 player in Team USA camp as voted by his teammates. Apart from that, the superstar’s stats and records speak for themselves. In his 21st season, James averaged 25.7 PPG, whereas Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has a 20-year experience, barely scored above 15 ppg in his last three seasons.

Nevertheless, it’s essential from the coach’s perspective to have a nuanced approach when it comes to handling the Akron Hammer. Redick further revealed the driving force behind accepting the coaching job after sternly clarifying that he didn’t discuss the job with Bron before it was offered. He added, “That was Thursday, I believe, June 20th, and I was at Duke. I went for lunch with my dad and I said, ‘Dad, I got to make a quick call real quick.’ I called LeBron, and we had a 20-minute conversation. I felt really good about it. And I felt good enough to accept the offer.”

How does LeBron James feel about his age?

In the last few years, LeBron James cracked a lot of jokes regarding his age and longevity in the league. It’s indeed hilarious as the superstar has played against multiple father-son duos on the court. Notably, an on-court conversation between Jabari Smith Jr. and James went viral when the Rockets player revealed that his father, Jabari Smith, had played against him in 2004.

During the 2024 All-Star game, James created an NBA record for the most number of appearances with 20 All-Star games. On that occasion, he cracked a perfect joke when Nikola Jokić asked him about the players that he had played alongside during his 20 x All-Star appearances. He said, “It was me, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dr. J … that was my first All-Star Game back in ’68,” leaving the Nuggets star to chuckle.

But, on a serious note, James revealed that he is not “really involved” in thinking about his age. He added, “When I’m healthy enough to go out there and play, I just try to perform at a high level, help my teammates, do great things on the floor, try to be productive.” He further stressed that it’s all about winning and losing. With this mindset, fans could see a couple more years of the superstar on the big stage.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.