The Roland Garros crowd cheering from the stands at the Bercy Arena hardcourt was swept off its feet as the gray-bearded, gold-sneaker-flaunting classic look of LeBron James added a third Olympic gold medal to his closet, gliding closer towards the ultimate GOAT glory. To top it all off with a flourish, the legend is now one clear of Jordan, who won two golds, back in 1984 and 1992. The achievement is an incredible feat, no doubt about it but what’s even more fascinating is that the 39-year-old Lakers star bagged it while flashing his classic gray beard. This iconic Paris Olympian look added an extra edge to his character while on court with most fans speculating if he would ditch it in the upcoming NBA season or bid it an early adieu.

Gil’s Arena crew expects LeBron James has a lot of potential to give a grand start to the Lakers this season. As they grouped together to preview the possibilities the 2024 NBA Season holds, they decided to kick things off with the most important team in association. Dissecting the team’s lackluster offseason and the previous season ending up nearly in disaster, the crew explored the major moves taken beyond the hiring of JJ Redick & the drafting of Bronny James. Having come to an agreement of sorts that a healthy Lakers team should be the priority to compete with the top teams in the NBA’s Western Conference, they seemed to be obsessed with one thing – James’ gray beard!

“Dude I like that cause it shows his age”, says Rashad McCants. For further clarification for the crew onboard, he goes on to explain : “Alright listen listen…He’s one party night away from being grandpa“, which is followed by a loud guffaw from the team. “Yeah like one road trippin’ Miami he go to sleep too early and waking up he saw the grey hair pops”, says McCants, laughing out while pointing to his own beard. “I am darn serious that’s his look right now. He’s this look away from being a grandpa you see…just this look away!” Clapping his hands in amusement and uncontrollable laughter all this while, Kenyon Martin repeats : “He’s a road trip away from being somebody’s granddad!”  To which McCants can only agree and reiterate : “Yeah man! He don’t look young no more!”

This certainly suggests that the gray beard and the gold medal round his neck does raise the serious question if James would decide to turn it into his signature style.

Bearded LeBron with his vintage roll-back-the-clock style: A new bold statement

They say age is just a number. Well, ask your favorite sports celebs with their demigod like aura on the hardcourt and most of them will acknowledge that it’s a race against time. Putting up their electric performances on court, battling multiple injuries while pushing their limits to stay in great shape and form and handling all sorts of emotional strains once they step off court, age and experience do factor in all of this and it’s definitely not a feat that the faint-hearted can pull off. In the NBA world, the player who wears this evergreen badge with utmost pride is none other than our very own LeBron James, the sensational star of the Los Angeles Lakers, who has redefined the contours of this ball game. With 14 points, six rebounds, 10 assists and two steals against France on the scoreboard for clinching his third Olympic gold, James closed one of the most significant chapter of his sporting career.

“Once the cat is out of the bag there’s no going back right, “, says Josiah Johnson in the Gils Arena, drawing a reference to the bold statement being made by James with his beard. Back in the Covid season too, James’ beard had already gone past its grooming stages before it was given a trim. As per the psychologist Christopher Oldstone Moore, who studies about gender and hair at Wright State University: “Psychologically, it can be a sort of declaration of fortitude and heartiness. It’s a way of saying, ‘I’m tough. I can withstand adversity.””

Well, if we consider the special request arising from McCants and Martin, James is being urged not to sport a gray beard as it makes him look like a grandpa which does not come across as a bold statement by any standard. While some fans tend to agree to disagree. As per a fan on TikTok: “We all got to wear our age with pride. Just look at Bearded Bronny. He never cease to inspire me!”

Whether James takes to the NBA season with the Paris look or reconfigures it to come up with something cool and trendy is a story for another day. What we got to remember is that even though the 39-year-old’s beard may have had a hint of white but his opponents can’t deny the fact that he still instils fright with his ferocity and agility with the cross dribbles, blocks and shoots on court. One thing’s for sure – this NBA season has a lot to keep your notifications buzzing around and you can’t rule out the bearded look!