Despite facing off in three NBA Finals, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and superstar LeBron James share a mutual respect and admiration that transcends the court. They’ve been known to publicly praise each other whenever the opportunity arises.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Spurs, coach Gregg continued to express his admiration for LeBron’s achievements at 39 years old.
“Look at his age, his physical conditioning, what he does on the court. LeBron James is a miracle. So, when we see all this, it becomes clear that he is.” Gregg said.
LeBron’s impressive performance against the Spurs, with 30 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds, highlights his remarkable abilities at 39 years old. His statistics showcase his continued dominance on the court.
In 2002/03, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan, for example, played at 39 years old. While Malone produced 20.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists, Jordan had 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
LeBron’s performance at 39 years old has surpassed all previous players in their 39th season. Before him, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (17.5 points and 6.7 rebounds) and Reggie Miller (14.8 points) were considered the best at that age.
In 50 games in the current campaign, he has recorded 24.9 points, 7.8 assists, 7.2 rebounds. Furthermore, James converts, so far, 39.2% of his shots from the perimeter.
Although Michael Jordan was in his last season in the NBA and for the Washington Wizards, he played in 82 games for an average of 37 minutes.
Meanwhile, Karl Malone played 81 games for 36.2 minutes in his last campaign with the Utah Jazz. The first stopped that year, but Malone still played for another year, with the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron, on the other hand, is on the court for around 34.9 minutes and is projected to play in something like 71 games (he missed eight in 2023/24).
Meanwhile, LeBron still has a contract for one more season. Despite it being the athlete’s option ($51.2 million), he must continue. James still wants to act alongside his son, Bronny.
However, it is still unclear whether the young man will go to the next Draft. In other words, if the athlete remains at USC for another year, it is very likely that his father will stay in the NBA until 2025/26.
