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LeBron James may not be the greatest player in NBA history, as an increasing number of fans and pundits seem to suggest. Whether he is or isn’t, a major argument on his side is his longevity.
In his 20th NBA season, he averaged 28.9 points on 50% shooting, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game. Those are amazing numbers for a player of any age, let alone one who is 38. The same longevity that allowed him to put up those numbers also allowed him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time leading scorer in February.
It speaks to James’ longevity that there are now players entering the league who were barely alive when he came into the NBA. One of them is Jalen Hood-Schifino, whom the Los Angeles Lakers took with the No. 17 pick in last week’s draft.
When the former Indiana University standout found out he was just seven days old when James was drafted in 2003, he was amazed at the age difference.
“I did see that post on ESPN. I was like ‘Dang, LeBron’s old!’”
Lakers rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino on finding out that he was only 7 days old when LeBron was drafted in 2003 😂pic.twitter.com/iKi2MA9qEm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 27, 2023
If Hood-Schifino pans out, he could help James continue to age gracefully by lessening the 38-year-old’s responsibilities, especially when it comes to handling the ball and setting up teammates.