J-Speaks: James is 33

For any professional athlete, playing for 14 seasons is enough time to cultivate a legacy, if you have the health, focus, and commitment to become one of the very best in your sport. To make your mark as not just someone who put up incredible statistics, but led your team to regular season success, and postseason success. That is what LeBron James has done in his prior 14 seasons, and has been even better in season 15. Last Saturday, he turned a year older, but his game, like a fine win has gotten better with age.

On Dec. 30, 2017, four-time league MVP, 13-time All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP, three-time NBA champion, and three-time Olympic Gold medalist of the Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James turned 33-years-old. 

Other notable professional athletes who had Birthdays last Saturday night include MLB Hall of Fame pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers Sandy Koufax, who turned 82; pro golfer Tiger Woods, now 42; and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who turned 25. 

“I’m 33 years old, and the way I grew up, I think God made a path for me at 18,” James said before the Cavs 104-101 at the Utah Jazz, his seventh straight defeat in Salt Lake City. “I’m blessed to be in the position where I am today, and I don’t take this moment for granted.” 

In as mentioned season No. 15, the two-time NBA Finals MVP is No. 3 in the league in scoring at 27.1, his highest average since his 27.1 output in his second, and fourth, and final season with the Miami Heat in 2011-12, and 2-13-14 respectably. He is shooting 55.9 percent from the field, which is not just ranked seventh in “The Association,” but it is the third highest of his career. James is averaging a career-high in assists per contest at 9.3, which is third in the NBA, and validation for all those comparisons with Hall of Famer, five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s, and now their Vice President of Basketball Operations Earvin “Magic” Johnson; three-point percentage. 

If that were not enough, his 38.3 percent from three-point range, is the third best mark of his career, and he has risen free throw percentage to a high mark of 78.5 percent. 

He is as good in the open court on both ends. He can attack the rim to score, or find the open man with the best in the league. Above all, his athleticism is as good as its been from the first time he played on the professional hardwood.

“He’s the most athletic NBA player I’ve ever seen, and I’ve ever played against,” NBATV analyst Brendan Haywood said on the Dec. 30, 2017 early edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by State Farm. “Some of the plays he’s able to make. He’s as strong as the centers, but as fast, and as quick as the point guards. That’s what’s made him so good for so throughout the history of his NBA career.”

One area that all the greats have at this point in their careers is that they can control games with their mind as well as with their play, and James is at the top of the sports food chain in those two regards. 

There are times on the hardwood this season he has shown he is two steps ahead of the opponent in front of him. He is playing chess, and everybody is playing checkers. 

He is leading the league in total points; is second to Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard Russell Westbrook in total assists; and 2015 Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves has played more total minutes to this point in the 2017-18 NBA campaign than James, who ranked fourth in minutes per game at 37.2. 

To bring the point of the amounts of minutes James has played this season into context, the last player to lead the NBA in total minutes, and led his team to a title was Norm Nixon of the Lakers in the 1979-80 season, “Magic” Johnson’s rookie season. 

If James wins his fifth MVP this season, which is not out of the realm of possibility, he will join Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, and Karl Malone as the only players at 33 years of age, or older to be named the Most Valuable Player in the league. 

Above all, James wants to lead the Cavs back to The Finals for a personal eighth consecutive appearance. Doing that, as well as winning another MVP trophy will not be easy. 

Standing in the path of James in terms of winning another league MVP are All-Star guard of the Houston Rockets (27-10) James Harden, who is on the shelf now with a hamstring strain, and Kyrie Irving, who was traded to the Boston Celtics (32-10) this past off-season, and he has them atop the Eastern Conference, and somewhat of a threat to the supremacy of the three-time defending East champions.

In terms of winning another title, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors (31-8), who won their second title in the last three seasons when they defeated James, and the Cavaliers in The Finals 4-1 in June 2017, and behind the All-Star foursome of Kevin Durant, two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are poised for their fourth trip in succession. 

If these two teams meet for the fourth time in The Finals this June, James will have some major help this time around. 

A reunion with his former teammate, and good friend Dwyane Wade, who has played very well as the Cavs’ Sixth Man to this point of the season. A healthy, and hungry Isaiah Thomas, who was acquired as part of the Irving trade, along with forward Jae Crowder from the Celtics in August 2017. Thomas just played his first game of the season on Tuesday in the Cavs’ 127-110 win versus the Portland Trail Blazers (20-18), scoring 17 points in 19 minutes. Also, Kevin Love, who has struggled in his first three seasons with the Cavs is playing the best basketball this season. 

For 14 seasons, LeBron James has accomplished a great deal, both individually, and for both the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Miami Heat. He has been a perennial All-Star; a multiple regular season MVP, and Finals MVP; and has won three championships. He helped the Heat to two straight titles in four appearances in The Finals, and help the city of Cleveland win its first professional sports championship in 52 seasons when the Cavs beat the Warriors in seven games in June 2016. 

James though is still motivated to want more, and has put in the work individually, and in cohesion with his team to have a crack at one more title. The city of Cleveland hopes that James, and the Cavs will have another playoff run in his 15th season, and at least stick around to provide a couple more cracks at it, as he is an unrestricted free agent when their season ends. 

A lot of athletes want to enter the world of pro sports, and leave their mark. Only a select few, who put their blood, sweat, and dedication through the thick, and thin manage to succeed. LeBron James is one of those select few, and continues to do it at a high level, even at now age 33. He has left his mark, and his great career, whenever it concludes will be a celebrated one of a man who played for essentially his hometown pro basketball team, and made himself into a great, and did the same for his team.

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 12/30/17 2 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by State Farm with Casey Stern, Steve Smith, and Brendan Haywood; 12/31/17 12:30 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by KIA Motors with Matt Winer, Caron Butler, and Brendan Haywood; www.espn.com/nba/standing; www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/1966/lebron-james; www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/cle/cleveland-cavaliers; www.espn.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/scoring; www.espn.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/assists/sort/assists; www.espn.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/minutes/sort/minutes; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeBron_James.