Former Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem has backed veteran LeBron James to play for another four years in the NBA. James is currently playing his 22nd season in the NBA, which is the most for any player along with Vince Carter. James has also played most minutes in the NBA, recently surpassing legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Lakers veteran recently turned 40 in December and his high-quality fitness has played a key role in his career’s longevity.
Recently, in November 2024, James himself revealed that he will not play for much longer even though he can continue playing at the top level for a few more years.
Speaking on ESPN’s NBA Today, Udonis Haslem said, “What people don’t understand is LeBron is the ultimate professional,” Haslem said. “If practice starts at 10, Bron rode his 10-speed to practice at 7 a.m., he’s gotten his shots up by 8 a.m., by 9 a.m., he’s lifted weights and he’s just preparing for practice.
“What people don’t understand about LeBron is, it ain’t on him, it’s in him. This is who he is and if he wanted to, he could play another four or five years. I can say he can go to 40 or 45 if he wanted to.”
On the other hand, James revealed that his three kids have helped him prolong his NBA career.
“I think having three kids in my household has definitely kept me younger than my age and my sport. Obviously, I’m still a young man in life but I’m up there in the sport,” James said on GoJo and Golic on Monday.
“Having the ability to work on my son everyday in LeBron Jr. and then also have my 17-year-old son, he’s a senior high school. Then, my 10-year-old daughter, who’s a volleyball player, they bring so much life into the household,” he added.
The Los Angeles Lakers will next take on Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
