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Amid all the suspense surrounding his free agency, one thing is certain: LeBron James will be suiting up for his 24th season. Soon to be 42, James continues to defy Father Time, putting up All-Star-like numbers. Often called the GOAT of longevity, he can indeed give Gen Z athletes a run for their money with his fitness levels, something he feels still doesn't get its due.
Recently, hosting the season finale of his Mind the Game podcast at the Fanatics Fest in New York, James had Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton as a guest and co-host. Addressing a range of topics surrounding the league and more, they also took fan questions, including one asking LeBron about an underrated skill of his that he felt didn't get appreciated enough.
LeBron reveals one trait that doesn't get enough credit
Though it took him some time to come up with an answer, James felt his availability over the 23 years he'd been in the league hadn't received the recognition it deserved. It wasn't as if the veteran superstar was immune to injuries, but he was present for the most part, especially when his team needed him.
"I think as a leader, it's hard to be able to lead a group of men out there if you're not available to them on a consistent basis. So, I feel like that sometimes get overlooked and not appreciated as much. It's not like I'm looking for validation, but I'm just answering the question,"said James, who also claimed that he would average 10 points per game in the NBA until he's 65.
He could contribute for decades to come
Though he may no longer be a high-volume scorer as he once was, LeBron can continue to contribute to winning basketball in several ways thanks to his versatility. When asked how long he thought he could average double digits in the NBA, the four-time MVP had an interesting response.
"Just 10 points a game? I could average 10 points in the league for a long time, a long time… (age) 65, I don't get foul calls anymore, so I would say get three layups and four free throws, but they don't call fouls for me. So, if I get two, three layups a half, man, that's 12 points right there," stated James, who once had a 1,297 consecutive game streak of scoring atleast 10 points.
If one were to pull up the stat sheet, James ranks No. 1 all-time in most career games played at 1,622. Strangely enough, the 6'9" forward has only clocked 82 games once so far, which happened to be the 2017-18 season. On the other hand, he is estimated to have missed a total of 245 games, with last season (2025-26) being the highest at 22 games.
Taking into account these numbers, LeBron has played nearly 87 percent of his regular-season games. Another impressive feat is that he has not missed a single playoff game during his career, having played all 302 of them so far.
Currently standing at over 43K career points, the NBA's all-time leading scorer averaged 20.9 points in the 2025-26 season. At the same time, he also stepped it up when needed in the playoffs, given the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Regarding his sustained success in the NBA, LeBron cited falling in love with the process and the belief that the rest would take care of itself.
Keeping it simple since Day One
Even at this stage of his career, there are very few who come even close to matching LeBron's fitness levels. It is widely believed that the veteran forward spends more than one million dollars annually on his body. But as far as James is concerned, consistency has always been key, given that nothing has really changed in his preparation methods.
"I've just learned more about my body and how to prepare my body. But I've been, I don't know, I've been taking care of my body since I started playing basketball. Like, even when I was younger… Before I went to sleep, I would stretch, and as soon as I woke up, I would stretch. This was when I was like 10 years old," stated Bron in 2022 when discussing how he's been able to sustain his elite play despite the inevitable impacts of age.
James' longevity in the NBA is something even his harshest critics have no choice but to acknowledge. A generational athlete, he will surely be missed by the game whenever he decides to hang up his basketball shoes.
