So here we are, folks—LeBron James at age 39, and he’s still got people debating whether he should chill on the minutes or keep grinding it out on the court. Joel Embiid stirred the pot, saying, “The athletic LeBron, dominant as he was a couple years ago, isn’t the same now,” sparking a whole new convo about whether “The King” needs to clock out a bit more often. But here’s the catch: LeBron’s not having it. Not even close.
Cue Netflix’s new series Starting 5, where Episode 1 has LeBron and then-coach Darvin Ham having a candid chat on the whole “minutes restriction” topic. Ham wanted to limit LeBron to 28-32 minutes per game. LeBron? Not so much. In the episode, LeBron dropped this gem, saying, “I know y’all got me on f—ing old-man percentages and sh-t. Play eight minutes and sh-t.” Yeah, he’s not here for the age talk.
LeBron’s mindset? “I’ve prepared my body, mentally and physically. Nobody knows me better than me.” And Rich Paul, his longtime agent, confirmed that “controlling the game” narrative? Not really true. But for LeBron, the frustration’s real—everyone says he’s controlling things when, actually, he’s just playing like he’s always played, only now people can’t look past the number 39.
LeBron has been defying Father Time for two decades, leading to four championships and countless highlight reels. Still, Embiid’s comment did have some fuel to it. He didn’t just call out LeBron but all the older players who people hype up based on past glory. “People get fooled by the names on paper,” Embiid said, but LeBron’s response has been pure energy. Just ask Team USA, where he rocked an MVP and 14.2 points in the Paris Olympics. Or take a peek at the Lakers’ recent preseason, where he dropped 19 points, went 8-for-12 on shooting, and still had enough steam to chase down Devin Booker for a block. Not bad for a guy supposedly in need of a break, right?
Despite LeBron’s “rest day” in the Lakers’ first preseason game against the Timberwolves, he and Anthony Davis were back and putting up 36 points against the Suns. Meanwhile, the younger Lakers didn’t exactly dazzle: Austin Reaves scored nine, Dalton Knecht seven, and Bronny James none. For anyone calling for a minutes restriction, that game might just be LeBron’s mic drop.
Of course, we’ll keep watching to see if the Lakers try to bench the King to save his legs. But so far, with Darvin Ham gone and no Embiid-style voices calling for a restriction, LeBron is having the final say on his time—and he’s not ready to sit down yet.
