In the highly competitive world of professional basketball, age is often seen as a limiting factor. However, there are certain athletes who have been exceptions to the rule. LeBron James is undoubtedly one of them. At 38 years old, James continues to dominate the NBA, leaving fans in awe of his seemingly ageless abilities.?
Recently, a former Michael Jordan-teammate shed light on what makes it so easy for LeBron James to maintain his dominance on the court.?
The advantage of being “That dude”
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Brendan Haywood, a former NBA player and an ex-teammate of MJ, has witnessed LeBron James’ rise to stardom firsthand. He shares his insights on why James continues to excel despite his age. Haywood highlighted that James possesses an advantage that is a result of his long-standing reputation and influence in the league.
According to Haywood, James’ age gives him a unique advantage over younger players. Growing up, many of these players idolized James, marveling at his skills and accomplishments. This admiration can sometimes translate into a psychological advantage for James when facing off against his younger opponents.
As Haywood puts it, “Bron just be like playing a front role then go out there and dunk on them. Getting to doing all this and that (Bron?s on-court gestures) …but that’s the advantage you have when you’re that dude like that.?
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The legacy of LeBron James
To truly understand why being labeled “so old” could work in favor of someone like him, consider this. Born on December 30th, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, LeBron quickly rose to prominence as a high school basketball prodigy. The chosen one‘s skills were unparalleled, and he was selected as the number one overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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After another brief stint with Miami, LeBron joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 and won back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 while making and breaking many records.