During an interview with NBA reporter Jay King of The Athletic, Boston Celtics big man Al Horford opened up about Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James‘ longevity.
LeBron is 40. He’s the oldest player in the NBA.
However, the Lakers forward is still putting up elite numbers.
“Just mentally his focus, his determination, his consistency is to me what’s most impressive,” Horford said. “Because yeah, you have to put in the work physically, but I just think that mindset that he has, and he continues to drive and continues to defy different (limitations) that are being put on us as athletes. So that to me is the most impressive part.
“You talk about his NBA journey and he’s been playing basketball since a very small age, and that’s all he’s done and everything. But for him to take everything in stride and understand that he has to take care of his body, that he has to commit to all the little things, and he seems to do that. And it’s just very, very impressive that he can (still) play at such a high, high level.”
LeBron is averaging 23.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks this season while shooting 51.3% from the field, 39.8% from beyond the arc and 76.3% from the free-throw line.
Horford, who is 38, doesn’t believe the NBA will ever see another player like LeBron.
“The thing I always respected was his commitment to basketball,” Horford said. “… The thing I always saw with him was he always put his work on the court. To me, that was good perspective for me to understand, ‘Yeah, you can be very good and you can have other things going on, but basketball is what’s most important in this business. And that’s what you have to focus on first.’ Him working on his game, him continuing to grow as a basketball player is something that I’ve always seen from afar and respected.
“It’s very admirable. Physically and mentally, to be able to take that (burden) and consistently deliver, it’s something that I’m not sure if we’ll ever see anything like that again. It’s just that special.”
LeBron is the leading scorer in NBA history. He’s also a four-time MVP, a four-time champion and a four-time Finals MVP.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!