LeBron James’ body is signaling the end is near.
No player in NBA history has ever played 24 seasons before. LeBron James is about to change that. James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in the most shocking move of the NBA summer to chase his fifth championship. He’s already the eighth oldest player in league history to start the season, and he’ll turn 42 years old in December. James has been remarkably durable throughout his career, but nagging injuries started to pop up during the end of his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. As the Sixers go through training camp, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin detailed one injury James isn’t going to get over.
James has chronic arthritis in his left foot, according to McMenamin, which requires special attention from the Sixers’ medical staff. The superstar also dealt with sciatica in his lower back that caused him to miss a month last season, which is another area that continues to get treatment in Philly.
The Sixers might have the most dubious recent injury history in the NBA, though there are a few teams (the Pelicans, the Grizzlies) who would challenge that claim. Ben Simmons’ career fell apart at age-24 because of injuries after making three All-Star teams. Markelle Fultz’s career never got off the ground in part because of injuries after Philly made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. Joel Embiid has dealt with seemingly hundreds of different maladies over the years. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as any Sixers fan will tell you.
James played 60 games last year, 70 and 71 games the two years before that, and 55 and 56 games the two years before that. How many will he play this season? LeBron no longer has to carry the scoring load for his team, and the Sixers should be well equipped offensively with Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey even when he and Embiid miss games. Philly could really use James’ signature playmaking component, but that’s more important in the playoffs than the regular season. The goal for the Sixers’ training staff will be to get LeBron in peak shape come playoff time. Can they do it?
It’s easy to imagine the frustration from Sixers fans if James deals with more injuries this year. Just remember: he’s about to 42, and he already has chronic arthritis in his foot. It’s remarkable that he was still so good in the first-round playoff series against the Rockets last season despite that, averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game as he helped the Lakers advance without Luka Doncic.
LeBron made the NBA Finals in eight straight years the last time he was in the East. That was also nine years ago. James could still have some magic left in his body, but there’s no doubt the end is near. Having chronic arthritis is just one sign of that.