LeBron James remained in good humor amid the countdown to his 40th birthday Monday. If the milestone inspired dread, regret or fear, the Los Angeles Lakers forward hasn’t let on publicly.
Like Michael Jordan, whose 40th birthday in 2003 was recognized on the cover of “Sports Illustrated,” James can’t hide from his age. Indeed, his most significant recent accomplishments — surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in February 2023, reaching 40,000 points this March and teaming with his son Bronny in October to become the NBA’s first father-son duo to play together — have stoked an ongoing conversation about his longevity.
James is set to become the 32nd player in NBA history to play at least one game in the regular season or playoffs after turning 40.
The four-time MVP has leaned into his graybeard status as the league’s oldest active player: He starred in Nike’s “Father Time” ad campaign, and he appeared alongside Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in an “OGs” conversation to lead ABC’s Christmas broadcast. When he set the NBA record for minutes played this month, he quipped that teammates called him “old as hell” and then posed for a photograph with a sheet of paper that read “1 billion mins,” a tongue-in-cheek inflation of his career total of more than 57,000. Perhaps seeking some balance, James has indulged in escapism thanks to his obsession with the “Madden NFL 25” video game.
As he has fought off the age-related decline curve that comes for every basketball star, James has redefined what is possible at 40.
Even so, he must now confront an existential question: What’s left to accomplish?