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LeBron James makes candid admission about his declining athleticism: “You had everything in the bag”
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- LeBron James makes candid admission about his declining athleticism: “You had everything in the bag”
Turning 42 next month, LeBron James is doing something no one has ever done before. He's in his 24th NBA season, and he's still playing at a high level, averaging 16.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 33.2 minutes for the Philadelphia 76ers.
However, while LeBron still looks like he's beating Father Time, he told his "Mind the Game" podcast co-host, Steve Nash, that age has taken away a lot of what he used to do on the court. One of them is his ability to take off a dunk on just anybody.
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"You never worried about stepping on somebody when you were young. Or if it was multiple bodies in the lane. You like want to jump over them, or I'mma Euro step past them. I'mma decel back, or I'mma…You had all those, you had everything in the bag," James explained .
Bron was the original freak
While many consider LeBron the most complete basketball player ever, he was also a freak athlete before the Greek Freak.
Standing at 6'9″ and weighing 250 pounds, young LeBron was built like Karl Malone but played like Magic Johnson and soared like Michael Jordan. He had exceptional strength and an unmatched combination of size and speed, coordination and agility, and, of course, explosive leaping ability, all of which made him a walking highlight reel.
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But that was many moons ago. James is now the oldest player in the league and has been since the 2023-24 season. He is no longer as fast and as quick. And as he told Nash, he can no longer get up and finish with authority like he used to.
Related: LeBron James turns an ordinary night into a spectacle with wine and a twerking celebration
LeBron made a business decision against Slawson
With the score tied at 25 all in the second quarter, James stole the ball from Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Slawson. But instead of finishing with a breakaway dunk, LeBron got blocked on a left-handed layup attempt.
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That play drew criticism from his naysayers. But as he explained to Nash, he didn't want to risk injury by going for a dunk less than 10 games into the 2026-27 season.
"If I go up and try to dunk this ball and this kid is going to f–k me up, I'm out, two to four weeks. There's no question. I was like, 'I'm not even gonna do that,' so like those are the type of things that click into your head that would, 12 years ago, I mean for me, s–t it could have even been five years ago, four years ago, I would have probably taken off. But early in November and as you building up?" he added.
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A Swiss army knife for the Sixers
The Sixers won that game 114-109, with LeBron finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, a steal, and two blocks in 33 minutes. For the season, James is putting up 16.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, which isn't too shabby, considering his age and the fact that he's playing alongside three other All-NBA players.
LeBron's priorities are clear right now. It's keeping himself healthy and helping the Sixers win. It's not about stats like many are saying. It's definitely no longer about making highlight-reel plays, as he proved against Slawson.
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Related: "He stole Luka from us" – Cops take aim at LeBron James during J.R. Smith's arrest
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
