5. LeBron’s Durability
LeBron James seems to be an indestructible force of nature. Nobody his size should also have his quickness. No one with his speed should also have his strength.
LBJ is also an ironman with unparalleled durability. He’s the only player ever to log more than 10,000 playoff minutes and has already played the 10th most regular season and playoff minutes of any player in NBA history.
He has played in 1,143 regular season games and in at least 74 games a season in 12 of his 14 seasons, and never fewer than 62 games. And for the first time in his career, he participated in all 82 games last year. He’s also played 239 postseason games, the 4th most in history.
LeBron is one of the best-conditioned men in the world. He has of course suffered minor injuries, especially ankle sprains, through the years. But despite all those minutes played, his chiseled and finely-tuned body has somehow been able to withstand all the physical abuse he’s received and to resist incurring any major injury.
That outstanding physical fitness is a prime factor for avoiding injury. But so many impairments are merely the luck of the draw, and James’ fortune in that area has been exceptionally good.
Lakers fans well remember that a ruptured Achilles knocked Kobe Bryant out of action in 2013 (and did the same to DeMarcus Cousins last year). Many athletes have also sidelined by torn ACL’s, including Derrick Rose and Danilo Gallinari. Neither debilitating injury involves conditioning, but rather wear and tear and sudden trauma.
Very few athletes escape some sort of major injury. It’s often the reason for retiring sooner than planned. So it’s at least possible that, as he’s closing in on age 34, something similar happens to LBJ and he is felled by an unanticipated injury. It could even be only a matter of time.
Of course, the intent here is not to jinx him or wish him ill. But in the larger context of looking at the Lakers as a possible 2019 title contender, the effect that a major injury to LeBron would have on the team’s success has to at least be considered.
Conclusion
Despite the addition of the great LeBron James and the anticipated development of the young core, this Laker team is not built to contend immediately for the NBA title.
Instead, they are putting pieces in place with a goal of qualifying for the playoffs this year and potentially challenging for the championship as soon as 2020.
All statistics courtesy of www.basketball-reference.com