 | | LeBron's Deal with the Basketball Gods | | by Taylor Geas | | | LeBron James has 21 All-NBA selections—another category in which he stands alone. | | | Yet at 41 years old, James began his 23rd NBA season on the sideline, hampered by sciatica that forced him to miss 17 games. One more absence would render him ineligible for All-NBA honors altogether.
So when the Lakers faced a second night of a back-to-back on Tuesday and James was listed as questionable, the question rippled quietly around the league: Would this finally be the moment his streak ends?
James, though, has never put too much importance on individual accolades.
He proved that in November against Toronto. Entering the game, he had scored in double figures in 1,297 consecutive games. In the final seconds, with just eight points, James drove downhill to a protected basket with an opportunity to extend the streak and force overtime. Instead, he kicked the ball to an open Rui Hachimura in the corner for three, and the win.
Records have never been the point. It’s always about “playing the game the right way.”
“You wanna know exactly what I did today?” James said. He woke up, sat in the cold tub, entered the hyperbaric chamber, then took a nap. He played PGA EA golf while Normateching his legs for 45 minutes, showered, got dressed, and headed to the arena. From there, it was his usual routine: activation, treatment, rehab, stretching, lifting.
“Me and Mike [Mancias] looked at each other,” James said. “He said, ‘What you thinking?’ And I said, ‘I think I feel pretty good.’” |  | So James played Tuesday night against the Hawks (stupendously). It was his first back-to-back of the 2025–26 season, and while All-NBA eligibility loomed in the background, that wasn’t his motivation.
“I would never disrespect the basketball gods,” James said. “I understand that it’s a real thing. I would never disrespect the basketball gods when it comes to playing this game. So I put the time, effort, and commitment into it—mentally, physically, and spiritually.”
Admit it or not, it’s easy to forget just how seismic a moment in basketball history we’re witnessing. JJ Redick hasn’t.
“I don’t take for granted the LeBron stuff,” Redick said. “It’s unfortunate, actually—how much this guy puts into it, how much he cares, and the way certain people talk about him. It’s crazy. Come be around him every day and see how much he cares; it’s off the charts.”
His teammates echo the sentiment. Luka Dončić called James “one of a kind,” while Jake LaRavia reflected that the league will never see another player like him.
“At 41, he’s a force going downhill, pretty much unstoppable at the rim,” LaRavia said. “He has the IQ to pass it when he doesn’t have it, still finishes through contact, makes tough shots. He can do everything.”
What James continues to do defies logic. Physically. Physiologically. And begs the question, like Achilles and Hercules, did James strike a deal with the gods? Longevity in exchange for selflessness?
Maybe. Maybe not.
James himself is always quick to remind people that his basketball greatness has an expiration date. But until then, he remains unwavering in his approach.
“Every time I hit the floor or I’m at practice, I set the example for my teammates and the younger generation,” James said. “My son is right over there—I can’t afford to cheat the game ever. I’d never do that. I’ve got to set the example for him. As Jay-Z would say, if you can’t respect that, your whole perspective is whack. Maybe you’ll love me when I fade to black.” | | | | | |
