Dallas Mavs' Jason Kidd 'Jealous' of LeBron James' Late-Career Dominance: 'He Looks 25 or 27'
LOS ANGELES — The NBA world continues to marvel at what LeBron James is accomplishing despite being in his 21st NBA season. After recording 26 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, he's averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists this season.
Before the Mavs' 104-101 win over the Lakers on Wednesday, coach Jason Kidd marveled at the level of play James continues to provide despite nearing his 39th birthday on Dec. 30. Kidd went as far as to say that he's jealous of what James is doing this late in his career and saying he still looks like he's 25 or 27 on the court.
“Yeah, I’m jealous,” Kidd said before Wednesday’s game. “I’m for sure jealous of what he’s able to do at this point of his career. He looks like he’s 25 or 27, somewhere in between there."
As a member of the Lakers coaching staff during the team's 2020 NBA Finals run, Kidd has a rare perspective on James' late-career success. However, Kidd also played in the NBA past his 40th birthday, too. While much focus tends to be placed on how James takes care of his body, Kidd is impressed by the mental aspect, commending James' love of the game and competing to send a message.
“Listen, he looks great. But I think with the understanding of being around LeBron, he takes care of his body. Everybody talks about his body, but I think it’s more his mind," Kidd said. "Just being young, he doesn’t feel old. He has a lot of energy, he loves the game of basketball, and he’s always out to prove that he can play at a high level or prove someone wrong. And he’s doing that right now. He might play to 50 if he wants."
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
James entered the NBA with more attention than probably any NBA prospect until Victor Wembanyama this past year. Considering the pressure that level of scrutiny carries, Kidd commended how James has proven his detractors wrong and continues to do so after all of these years while still playing the game the "right way."
"It’s just amazing — his spirit, his energy that he comes to work every day understanding that he was never under the radar," Kidd said. "He always had millions of people watching him, just wanting him to fail or not do well. He’s always gone out there to prove those people wrong and play the game the right way."
Despite being in the NBA for so long, James has shown a willingness to continually add to his game each summer, which Kidd remains impressed by seeing.
"He’s a champion. His IQ is off the charts, he knows what people are doing before they do it," Kidd said. "But I just think every summer, he’s always trying to add something to his game, and he’s played for 50 years now. It’s just amazing that he could do 50 different things each summer.”
The Mavs will face off against the Lakers next on Dec. 12, when the two teams compete at American Airlines Center after the NBA In-Season Tournament.
