In the Los Angeles Lakers’ blowout victory against the retooled Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Lakers superstar LeBron James achieved a feat that most veterans would consider a miracle to reach: playing in back-to-back games.
In his first time playing on the second end of a back-to-back this season, the 41-year-old showed no signs of slowing down, leading the Lakers’ offense with 31 points, along with 9 rebounds and 10 assists.
Earlier this month, The King had already emphasized that he will be a gametime decision on the latter end of back-to-backs moving forward.
It Takes a Lot to Get The King Ready
LeBron James then walked reporters through the meticulous, time-consuming process of what it takes for the longest-tenured player in NBA history to play in the backend of a back-to-back in his 23rd season.
“I woke up, got in the cold tub. After I got in the cold tub, I went into the hyperbaric chamber. After the hyperbaric chamber, I took a nap, then I played PGA EA Golf for a little bit, as I Normatec my legs for 45 minutes,” James explained to The Athletic’s Dan Woike.
“I took a shower, got dressed, then headed to [Crypto.com Arena]. Once I got here, I did my normal game day routine; activation, rehabbing, stretching, lifting… Then me and Mike [Mancias] looked at each other… I said, ‘I think I feel pretty good.’ And there was a pregame meal in between there at some point,” James added.
LeBron and His Longevity
The 6-foot-9 forward is currently averaging 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists this season and is definitely not looking like a 41-year-old on his last wheels.
However, due to missing a major chunk of the season dealing with right leg sciatica, James is at risk of losing his 21-year All-NBA streak due to the league’s rule that requires players to log at least 65 games to win major awards.
