If you are given a choice, can you imagine anyone who could replace Ed Sheeran and Zoey Deutch in the “Perfect” music video? Well, with all bias, it would be LeBron and Savannah James. And who could argue with that? The King and his Queen are basically the definition of perfect couple goals! While LeBron’s putting in work on the hardwood, what often goes unnoticed is the role his missus plays behind the scenes. She may not get as much credit as she deserves, but LeBron’s close friend sure knows where the flowers need to go. But what did he say?

The discussion came up on the Nightcap podcast, where former NFL star and LeBron’s friend, Shannon Sharpe, was comparing the 4x champion’s current stats with his MVP year in 2013. He pointed out that the numbers are pretty close, showing that the man has a real shot at the MVP this season. Back then, the forward was averaging 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists per game while shooting at 56/41/75%. Now, if you line up his current numbers, after turning 40, it’s almost identical. 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists, with shooting splits of 55/44/76%. Jaw-dropping, right? Getting older makes you more alive, and James is a perfect fit for it. There’s no doubt that LeBron is giving his all, but the ex-TE believes a huge part of that success goes to Savannah James as well.

“Since turning 40, (Shannon mentions the stats) he’s shooting better from the three, better from the free throw line, averaging more rebounds, more assists, and basically damn near the same amount, one percentage,” he highlighted. That was 56% previously and now it’s 55%. “Right now, he’s playing unbelievable. He does a great job of taking care of himself; it’s really important to him.” And here comes the most important part, “His wife allows him to do it. She ain’t in his ear chirping about, ‘You need to come home. How much longer are you going to play?'” Shannon explained.

The host underlined, “You have to have someone really, really supportive to play this length of time. Anytime you see someone play this length of time, their partner, significant other, whoever that person is in their life, you have to sign on for that.” Shannon feels without Savannah’s selfless support, LeBron couldn’t have made it this far in the league.

Savannah’s dedication has allowed him to focus fully on his career while she took on the massive responsibilities of managing the family. Even LeBron has expressed his gratitude for that. In fact, it could even be a reason for the Lakers star’s potential early retirement from the league.

National reporter predicts LeBron James’ retirement plans with Savannah James at the center

LeBron has reached a point where retirement is a frequent topic. So last year, when that rumor was swirling, Shams Charania weighed in, predicting LeBron could play a few more years, depending on his physical and mental state. However, there’s one big factor that Shams highlighted on The Pat McAfee Show.

“This is something else I’ve heard recently, is that he knows how much people around him have sacrificed – his wife, his kids, his close friends, his loved ones,” the National reporter shared. “They’ve sacrificed a lot for him over these 21 years, could end up being up to 23 years that he plays in the league… and so pouring that back to them at some point in the next one or two years I know that’s a priority as well.”

But what has LeBron to say about this? Just recently he revealed on Uninterrupted’s IG post, “Savannah has allowed me to basically be as great as I wanted to be with my career and my journey.” She took care of the kids, letting LeBron chase his dreams. Now that he’s accomplished so much in the NBA, LeBron knows his top priority is Savannah James, the family, and the friends he couldn’t always make time for. So, when the chapter ends, it’ll be because of them, too.