LeBron James loves horror movies, loves them so much he has a tattoo of his “Big Three” villains on his thigh. There’s “Nightmare on Elm Street’s” Freddy Krueger. There’s “Halloween’s” Michael Myers. And there’s “Friday the 13th’s” Jason Voorhees. If anyone appreciates a good scare, it’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Yet there wasn’t some killer behind a mask or a scarred-up monster with a knife that caused James to yelp Christmas night in San Francisco. The Lakers had just beaten the Golden State Warriors during a game in which James was fantastic when he was reminded of the terrifying monster waiting for him in five days.
Hiding behind the door on Monday, Dec. 30, James would be 40 years old. Reminded of it, he jokingly screamed.
“Five days,” he exclaimed, a shiver maybe running down his spine.
In 1987, legendary L.A. Times columnist Jim Murray wrote about athletes staring down the bad guy that eventually gets all of them: Father Time.
“A great heavyweight champion at 40 is pathetic to watch,” Murray wrote. “He sees the opening but can’t get the punch there in time. A great tennis champion can’t get to the net anymore. A great quarterback has to throw sidearm.”
Only the rarest forms of greatness can outlast it. In 1987, Murray was writing about Nolan Ryan, who would go on to pitch another 1,000 innings over six more seasons. Tom Brady played six seasons after turning 40. And now James takes on the challenge of not just reaching the milestone but powering through it, living up to the high standards he’s set for himself over 22 seasons.
The end, James will admit, is coming. But it’s not here yet.
According to basketball-reference.com’s data, only 23 players have been in the NBA for seasons when they were 40 or older by Jan. 31. James will be the 24th.
Most of the list is littered with backup big men — Robert Parish, Dikembe Mutombo and Kevin Willis all played into their 40s. Forward Vince Carter proved to be a key role player for multiple seasons after 40.
As far as frontline contributors go, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and John Stockton were able to truly thrive after 40. James is set to outdo all them.
Players 37 years or older have scored 35 points or more after their 37th birthday 76 times in NBA history. Kobe Bryant did it three times. Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone each did it eight times. And Michael Jordan did it 12 times.
LeBron James has done it 34 times.
NBA players over the age of 33 have accounted for 242 triple-doubles. James has nearly a quarter of them (58). Malone is the oldest player to ever have a triple-double at 40 years and 127 days old. James has had 11 triple-doubles since turning 39.
There are dozens of stats just like this.
And this season, he’s averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds, the latter two stats above his career averages.
“I’ve been able to do this at a high level over two decades,” James said earlier this month after setting the NBA’s all-time minutes played record. “And to continue to put myself in record books in this game of basketball that I love so much and in the best league in the world is pretty cool and it’s very humbling.”
For his new coach, JJ Redick, being here for this stage of James’ career is particularly surreal. The two first played against each other in high school. Redick retired after the 2021 season, emotionally drained and physically battered.
Now, one of his most important players is six months younger than him.
“I think the biggest thing is just competitive stamina,” Redick said when asked earlier this season about James.
It’s been his go-to phrase about the Lakers’ star.
“That’s reflected in his routine. Being able to get up every morning and do the same thing over and over, it’s not easy,” Redick said. “I think anybody who has been a high achiever probably has moments where they feel like they can take a day off or take a rep off or take a week off, whatever it may be. And I know during the offseason he’ll occasionally hop on a $300-million yacht for a week in Ibiza or wherever he goes in the Mediterranean. But I think that’s what stands out. You don’t do this for this long and have the routine you have without just a high level of competitive stamina.”
Before James set the minutes played record earlier this month, he was asked about the physical and mental costs of doing this for so long. Earlier in the year, James missed two games by taking a week away from the team to heal his ailing left foot and reset mentally.
“I just think it’s just a commitment to the craft and to the passion and love I have for the game,” he said. “I don’t take much time off in the offseason. A little bit more time now. I didn’t take much time in the offseason, no matter if I was making the 10 [NBA] Finals appearances back-to-back and just always trying to keep my body in tip-top shape. And I’ve been able to, like I said, play a lot of minutes and for the most part of my career be injury-free and be available.
“I don’t want to say injury-free. We all have our injuries in this league and in this sport. But to be available for the majority to my teammates, to the franchises, the three franchises I play for, is something I took very seriously.”
Fittingly, his first game after turning 40 will be Tuesday against the team that drafted him — the Cleveland Cavaliers — if he’s recovered from an undisclosed illness that caused him to miss the victory over Sacramento on Saturday.
“It’s kind of mind-boggling just to be in this position, coaching him, playing against him for 15 years, taking three years off and calling his games and then he’s still playing at this level,” Redick said. “It feels like he’s just been doing this forever.”
And after showing some signs of age early this season, James has hit a stride as the Lakers have played better basketball the last three weeks.
“I’m a high-energy guy and I love the game and I love the way I am able to still go out and still help my team and compete,” James said after his Christmas night shriek. “So, I try to give as much energy as I can, especially when I have it. And I’ve had it over the last few weeks, for sure.”
