41-Year-Old LeBron James’ Conditioning Leads Stephen A. Smith to Question Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves

LeBron James is battling alone for his Los Angeles Lakers with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries.

41-Year-Old LeBron James’ Conditioning Leads Stephen A. Smith to Question Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves

LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Stephen A. Smith (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • LeBron James, at 41, continues to excel in conditioning, raising questions about the health of younger players Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
  • Stephen A. Smith criticizes the lack of commitment to conditioning from players earning millions, contrasting it with LeBron's $1.5 million investment in his health.
  • Despite concerns over his age, LeBron led the Lakers to three straight wins and earned his 70th Player of the Week award.

With the playoffs approaching, the fear among Los Angeles Lakers fans is that they might have to watch LeBron James lead the team, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves‘ injury situations still unclear.

The latter was supposed to miss four to six weeks. But that puts him at risk of missing out on the first round, as his team will welcome the Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets to Crypto.com Arena on April 18th.

The same could be said about the Slovenian, who is currently in Europe seeking a second opinion to fast-track his return to the court. However, it comes with an element of risk, as he might not have spent the usual time it takes to recover from a Grade 2 hamstring injury.

I’m sick and tired of watching this man (LeBron James) at age 41 now in his 23rd year. How the hell he healthy, and Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ain’t?… When does the shame kick in?

Stephen A. Smith said on his namesake show

The ESPN analyst wanted to ask how two guards in their late 20s could not stay healthy, whereas the oldest player in the league could.

Whenever Stephen A. Smith talks about LeBron James, sports fans generally expect something negative. But over the past few weeks, the 58-year-old has changed his perspective, with the latest as a remark on the King’s longevity and conditioning.

Stephen A. Smith baffled millionaire athletes do not spend money as LeBron James does on his body

While on the topic of conditioning, Stephen A. Smith then brought up how LeBron James spends an unreal amount of money on his conditioning throughout the year.

LeBron James spends $1.5 million on his body
LeBron James spends $1.5 million on his body (Image via NBA Central/X)

If the man is known as spending $1.5 million on his body to keep healthy… League average salary is over $10 million. Quite a few of y’all are getting paid $40-50 million a year. How come you can’t take care of your body the way LeBron James takes care of his body? I mean, damn. Where’s your pride? Where’s your dignity?

Stephen A. Smith asked

The ESPN executive producer could not find a reason why players earning tens of millions could not look at their teammate and learn from him on how to look after their bodies.

After all, their careers are going to be defined by it. Smith knows that Luka Doncic spent a lot of time in the offseason to shed weight. But LeBron James’ continuous effort to keep himself conditioned is something that requires dedication.

That is why the analyst was left baffled, as he could not understand what was stopping the likes of Austin Reaves and Doncic from doing more to stay healthy.

LeBron James earns his 70th player of the week award

With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out for the foreseeable future, many thought that the burden of leading the Los Angeles Lakers would be too much for a 41-year-old LeBron James.

Some felt that he should retire, as losing the final few games of the regular season and potentially the first round of the playoffs would be mentally exhausting.

The latter will be an interesting battle against Kevin Durant’s inconsistent Houston Rockets. But until then, the basketball world has been left to marvel at how the father of three managed to lead his team to three straight wins.

After averaging 24 points, 9.7 assists, and six rebounds a game over the last week of the regular season, the NBA had no choice but to reward that effort with what is his 70th Player of the Week award.

It is a testament to someone playing in his 23rd season, as he did not even play more than 16 and a half minutes in the final game of the season.

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