The four-time NBA champion is entering his 21st season in the leagueAlthough LeBron James’ 21st NBA season will officially begin on March 1, the seasoned player doesn’t appear to be slowing down. He is still regarded as one of the greatest in the league by others, despite being 38 years old.

The Los Angeles Lakers standout averaged 28.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in the previous campaign. The four-time NBA champion overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time top scorer, further cementing his place in history.

Regarding James’ status as the greatest player in NBA history, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said to The Athletic, “Some guys might say he is No. 2, but other guys like me, I say he is No. 1, and he’s still going.”

In addition to being a well-versed basketball player, James is regarded as a devoted family man and an all-around amiable public personality. 

He previously stated that he plans to play one more season in the NBA with his oldest son, Bronny, who is a freshman at USC, before he decides to retire. He may have recently implied that he might think about holding off till his youngest son, Bryce, who is still a 16-year-old in high school.

He’s acting as a sort of guide for the rest of us as we move forward. I want that,” Giannis continued. “I want to be able to do what I do on the court consistently, be good, be healthy, be available for my team, be able to, you know, raise my family in a bubble away from what I do on the court for them to have a normal life as much as I can. Keep yourself out of problems.”

One of the more frequent NBA discussions for a number of years now has been whether James can unseat Michael Jordan as the all-time great. Though it’s difficult to pinpoint the ideal qualifications for that title, James is a constant presence in discussions.

“I think people will look back at that body of work over 20 years or however long it’s been, and when it’s over with, I think they’ll have more respect (for James),” said Damian Lillard. Lillard joined the team the year following James’s first NBA title victory.

“For the guys who are in it like I am, and the rest of us who do this job, got to put our bodies through it and got to deal with the pressure and have to perform and all of these things to go along with our personal lives, I think people like us respect it. However, I believe that after it’s over, you fans who have only watched will admire him more,” Lillard remarked.

On Thursday, October 26, James and the Lakers will meet the Phoenix Suns in their home opener for the 2023–24 campaign.