If LeBron James could travel back in time and tell the 18-year-old version of himself that one day he'd be on the verge of becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer, he knows exactly what that teenager would've said.
"Yeah, right," James told FOX Sports in the hallway of Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Saturday, flashing a wide grin. "Yeah, right."
James was raised by a single mother who gave birth to him at age 16. He lived in poverty throughout his childhood in Akron, Ohio. He always had dreams of making it big and has since become one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
But his latest achievement has surpassed even his wildest dreams.
James is 36 points away from the most hallowed individual accomplishment in the sport, a record that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for more than 38 years and was widely considered unbreakable. His first chance to break the mark will come Tuesday night at home against the Thunder (10 p.m. ET on TNT).
To reach this moment, it has taken a unique combination of elite talent and longevity. But more than anything, it's a reflection of his deep desire to be the best, a feeling that hasn't dimmed as he continues to play MVP-caliber basketball at age 38.
When asked how he has stayed intensely motivated for so long, James explained that even though he's a four-time champion and four-time MVP, he's still as hungry as ever for more.
"Just my drive, my drive to be the greatest to ever play this game and inspire kids all over the world and also put myself in a position to win championships," James told FOX Sports. "I feel like that's one of the greatest feelings I've had in my career, to be able to hoist that Larry O'Brien Trophy. So, that's a motivating factor for me still to this day."
At James' age, most other players' physical ability declines. Or their desire wanes to endure the rigors of marathon seasons, constant travel and endless sacrifice.
But that's not the case for James, who is averaging 30.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists, the oldest player to ever put up those numbers. And despite the Lakers being in 13th place in the Western Conference, his love for the game is still palpable.
He still dances on the court while doing his pregame warmups. He still watches games at home on nine television screens, studying his competition. He still dives into the courtside seats after loose balls, hurling himself over bodies with a jarring amount of reckless abandon for someone his age.
For many players, what James is doing is unimaginable.
In fact, 23-year-old Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić recently told reporters he’d "rather go back to my farm in Slovenia" than play 20 seasons. And Golden State Warriors defensive mastermind Draymond Green, who is in his 11th season, said he’s always known his "magic number" is 15 years on the "Know Mercy" podcast.
To play at James' level for 20 seasons requires much more than incredible skill and a supreme amount of luck to remain healthy — it requires a true love of the game.
"He's a hooper for life," said Phil Handy, who has coached James for eight seasons as an assistant with the Cavaliers (2014-18) and the Lakers (2019-present). "People don't really talk about that enough. He loves the game of basketball, so it's not work to him. He just loves the whole process. Taking care of his body — he loves the process of working on his game. He loves the process of competing and figuring out ways of beating his opponents."
One strategy that James uses to remain deeply engaged each season is he hones in on something that he wants to prove to himself and the world.
When he joined the Lakers in free agency in 2018, he was upset there was always an asterisk attached to him reaching eight straight NBA Finals with Cleveland because the Eastern Conference was considered less competitive than the West. Two years later, he led the Lakers to a championship.
And as he nears 40, he often talks about winning the battle against Father Time. His tricks include trying to sleep 12 hours a night, yoga, meditation, constantly tweaking his game to outsmart his opponents, and drinking wine to unwind.
While most players James' age have become shells of who they once were, James still believes he can be the cornerstone of a franchise for years to come.
"I still feel like I've got plenty of gas in this tank to help any franchise win a championship," James told FOX Sports. "And I'm here with the Lakers right now, so I'm trying to help them get back to the promised land for the 18th time. So, that's where [the motivation] comes from."
James, who has averaged at least 20 points since he was a rookie, has had five 40-point performances since Christmas. He often plays in both games of a back-to-back, something many stars a decade younger than him don't do. He has reached the Finals 10 out of his 20 seasons, and he desperately wants to carry the Lakers back to the mountaintop.
James does the little things behind the scenes to remain sharp.
He's doggedly disciplined with how he takes care of his body. He still has marathon film sessions. He does 6 a.m. workouts. He spends hours in the weight room. And multiple coaches whom he has played under say that even though he's the face of the league, he's still very coachable.
"His laser-focus is just unheard of," said Jared Dudley, who played alongside James from 2019-21 and is currently an assistant coach on the Mavericks. "He's still going to be an All-Star at 40. He's still going to average over 20."
James entered the NBA as the most highly-touted high school phenom ever and was selected by Cleveland with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft. He developed into someone who can play every position. He has won championships with three different franchises, while also dishing out the fourth-most assists in league history.
Over the years, the world's gaze has only sharpened its focus on James.
He has more than 196 million combined followers on social media. He has a profound amount of influence that he has used to raise awareness for social justice. He has a show on HBO called "The Shop." And he founded both a production company called SpringHill Company and the I Promise School in Akron, which helps at-risk children and their families.
In addition, he's the first-ever active NBA player to become a billionaire.
The mental load it takes to balance all of that while also starring on the court is tremendous.
But James also knows when he needs a release from the so-called pressure cooker.
He lets his fans into that part of his life through social media, posting videos of himself singing along to music in the car or dancing with his family. Reporters often see him joking around with Anthony Davis in the locker room. He doesn't take himself too seriously and is quick to laugh.
"He's a comedian," Handy said. "He's a clown. He's just a big kid who loves the game of basketball."
As James approaches the all-time scoring record, those closest to him feel like fans themselves.
Davis recently said he's excited to have a "courtside seat" to that game. He recalled how he went to James' basketball camp when he was 15, adding that when he became his teammate in 2019, he actually thought, "I want a picture."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham called James "the salt of the earth" Saturday. And Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who coached James to three NBA Finals appearances from 2016-2018 with the Cavaliers, recently told FOX Sports that he was going to attend that game, even if it meant he'd have to fly across the country and miss one of his own.
James has come a long way from being the 18-year-old with the weight of the world on his shoulders. But in many ways, things have also remained the same.
He still deeply desires to be on top, to win more, to achieve all he possibly can. That's what has kept his motor running for 20 seasons.
And along the way, he's about to achieve something that even he thought was impossible.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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