LeBron James is looking his age, and it's sad to see

Best scorer in NBA history and currently in his 22nd season, LeBron James has constantly pushed the limits of longevity. But it's been a few games since the King has been in trouble, having had one of his worst nights in his career last night in Minnesota. Has the hour of decline finally arrived?

We are at the end of the first quarter of the Wolves – Lakers game last night. LeBron James tries to penetrate Julius Randle but misses his shot. He manages to grab the offensive rebound and has a ready-made layup, except he completely misses.

LeBron missing wide open layups now ????????️ pic.twitter.com/Pt6HdkMqcZ

— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) https://twitter.com/BricksCenter/status/1863759101295214729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Later in the game, midway through the third quarter, LeBron attempted a catch and shoot 3-pointer from the right corner. He sends a… terrible airball, so much so that it seemed like there was a big draft in the room.

LeBron missing wide open layups now ????????️ pic.twitter.com/Pt6HdkMqcZ

— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) https://twitter.com/BricksCenter/status/1863759101295214729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In the Lakers' heavy defeat in Minnesota (80-109), LeBron James saved his exceptional series of consecutive 10-point games at the last minute, but that was the only positive point of the King's evening. In 31 minutes, he finished with only 10 points, shooting 4/16 including 0/4 from 3-point range, for 6 turnovers and a +/- of -28, the worst stat of his entire team.

Worrying figures

Since we're in the stats, here are a few that symbolize LeBron James' current difficulties.

0/19 :

LeBron James remains on 19 consecutive misses from behind the 3-point line. He has not scored a single award-winning shot since the match in Phoenix on November 26. It seems that he does not want to overtake his former teammate Kyle Korver (both have 2,450 career winning shots, 7th all-time) in the ranking of the most prolific shooters in history.

-21 :

When LeBron James is on the court this season, the Lakers have a net rating of -21 points per 100 possessions according to Cleaning The Glass. During his first 21 seasons, Never the King was in the negative. This is a great first and the stats are very bad. When we dig a little deeper, we also see that the Lakers are more efficient in attack and defense when LeBron is not on the floor. James has a +/- of -5.3 on average this year.

As someone who does enjoy slandering lebron it may be actually be over and it’s sad to say???????????? he’s had slow starts but his net rating is horrific https://t.co/F7xqvVgbJ1 pic.twitter.com/Z1o1hJ5FXg

— Ali (@abootynation) https://twitter.com/abootynation/status/1862737779286769888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In the King's defense, it is worth pointing out that LeBron is sometimes aligned with bench players, which can weigh down his own numbers. Simple example yesterday in Minnesota: James played with Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish, Armel Traoré and Max Christie / D'Angelo Russell between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. Result ? The Lakers took a 19-8 lead in just over five minutes.

However, James clearly doesn't have the same impact as before, and we're being kind when we say that.

4 :

Between November 23 and today, LeBron James has played six games. Out of those six games, he failed to reach the 20-point mark five times, including four times in a row. Four games in a row without scoring 20 pawns, this has not happened to the King since his rookie season in 2003-04.

This season, LeBron James is averaging “only” 22 points per game, also his lowest average since his first year in the League. We also note that his shooting success percentage – 48.2% – is his lowest since the 2006-07 campaign.

This drop in scoring is partly explained by coach JJ Redick's desire to more involve Anthony Davis in attack, he who has clearly become the Lakers' first option this season. LeBron is perhaps more than ever in a playmaker / all-around player role, but even there he is less efficient than usual. Certainly he distributes 9 assists per match, but above all loses 4 balls on average. James has accumulated no less than 30 turnovers in his last six games!

LeBron just looks horribly out of rhythm.

Off target passes, bad reads. Even his jump shot is off (12 for 42 from three last 8 gms).

Doesn’t exactly look explosive either, something to keep an eye on, but he certainly can play much better than this. https://t.co/E0srDkkNs1

— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) https://twitter.com/_JasonLT/status/1862741927667671396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

LeBron James and the midlife crisis?

Seeing LeBron James miss lay-ups, throw airballs, get crossed by Donte DiVincenzo or covered up by Naz Reid is obviously disturbing. More than that: it hurts.

We have seen the King mistreat the competition for two decades, constantly pushing the limits of longevity. We’ve seen him normalize excellence in a world that seems increasingly abnormal. We saw him dominate from Cleveland to Los Angeles via Miami, always with the same regularity. LeBron has long seemed indestructible, even eternal. But right now, he's just a shadow of his former self. And the Lakers are clearly paying the price (five defeats in seven games).

If the first signs of decline of LeBron James do not date from yesterday, we do not remember seeing him in such difficulty in a match like in Minnesota this Monday, and even over a period of ten to fifteen days if we take into account his recent performances.

LeBron just looks horribly out of rhythm.

Off target passes, bad reads. Even his jump shot is off (12 for 42 from three last 8 gms).

Doesn’t exactly look explosive either, something to keep an eye on, but he certainly can play much better than this. https://t.co/E0srDkkNs1

— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) https://twitter.com/_JasonLT/status/1862741927667671396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Given what he is showing at the moment, LeBron James gives the impression of no longer having the ability to physically leave his mark on a match, at least on a regular basis. He lacks explosiveness, aggressiveness towards the rim, and his 0/19 from 3-point range is probably explained by the fact that he no longer has the same legs as before.

The reality is what it is: LeBron is about to turn 40 and it shows, especially back-to-back like yesterday in Minnesota.

James' goal is to play all 82 games of the 2024-25 season, and that is to his credit, but not sure that it is the best thing to do given what he is currently showing on the court. JJ Redick himself has doubts about the King's ability to go the distance in his 22nd NBA season (via ESPN).

“I don't know if it's in his interest and ours, but if he feels good he should play. But we obviously want to manage this as best we can.” – Redick after the loss in Minnesota

Knowing the King's resilience, we wouldn't be surprised to see LeBron James drop a big offensive card in future matches. We imagine that he wants to shut a few mouths, as he has done so much throughout his career. But today more than ever, LeBron looks his age. In attack, in defense, and even in body language.

So this is what the decline of perhaps the best player in NBA history looks like?

It’s looking like this just might be Bron’s last season.