After the retirements of Udonis Haslem and Andre Iguodala, LeBron James is now officially the oldest active player in the NBA. However, those waiting for Father Time to finally catch up with him will likely have to wait a little longer to get their wish.
For one, James looked physically spry during the preseason. While he played in only three of the Los Angeles Lakers’ six preseason games, he showed flashes of being his usual self whenever he decided to assert himself offensively.
For another, James says he’s still motivated by playing at a very high level and, of course, winning his fifth NBA championship.
LeBron on his motivation in Year 21: “I just think for one, it’s just my motivation to continue to be as great as I can be and solidify what I want to do in my career and still seeing that Larry O’Brien trophy in my mind on a daily basis. So that’s one of the best four moments of… pic.twitter.com/3yujT5PisE
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 21, 2023
Sometimes when great athletes get up there in age, it isn’t their physical abilities that decline first but their motivation, desire and excitement for the game. James, of course, appeared to publicly flirt with retirement at the end of last season, only to confirm he could continue his career several weeks later.
His 21st season will begin in Colorado with a contest against the defending world champion Denver Nuggets. It will give him and his mates an opportunity to start the 2023-24 campaign with a major statement to the rest of the league.
