Still one of the best and most athletic players in the NBA at the age of 33, LeBron James’ longevity is only more evidence of his peak physical condition. His workouts are wild, as documented, but one can only imagine what it really takes to stay in that kind of shape for that long.
So, is this a side effect? According to ESPN, LeBron once gained seven pounds during a playoff game in his Miami Heat days, walking on to the court at 271 pounds and coming off at 278. You know, just casual superhuman things.
It seems impossible to believe, even with some of LeBron’s Heat teammates corroborating the story. This isn’t how calories and exercise work! LeBron himself described it as “weird as hell,” but it doesn’t seem that anyone had a more scientific explanation to offer. We can really only chalk it up to LeBron’s athleticism, affecting his freak body in ways that could never apply to the regular bums of the rest of the world.
The only thing that makes sense about this story is that LeBron weighed over his listed 250 lbs in Miami, which all common sense dictated.
Believe it or not, LeBron has never actually played a full 82-game regular season in his career. Part of this is just that he often sits out late-season games to rest for the playoffs, but this year, with the Cleveland Cavaliers jostling for playoff position and even home-court advantage, LeBron hopes to go the entire year without missing a game. Push your body to new limits at the age of 33, why not?
The same ESPN report mentions that LeBron once turned his ankle 90 degrees, and picked himself right up to finish the game with a triple-double. It also mentions the time that LeBron dropped 40, in over 40 minutes, immediately after getting in a full workout prior to the game. The man is unreal.
Just so you know, this is LeBron’s 15th season in the NBA, and it’s still too hard to say when he might drop off.
h/t ESPN
