Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is one of the most, if not the most, impressive specimens in the history of sports. That he has been able to maintain the incredible level at which he plays for 14 years now is nothing short of unbelievable. His minute loads have remained consistently heavy, and while his defensive effort has certainly taken a dip over the years, he remains probably the most dominant offensive player in the world at age 33. How has James managed preserved his physical well-being to such a spectacular degree? It turns out it’s more than just being a freak athletic talent. His seeming invincibility isn’t purely genetic; James spends over $1 million each year on body care, reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst:
James is known to personally spend seven figures a year caring for his body, and [James’ personal biochemist Donnie] Raimon is part of that tab. So are personal chefs and masseuses. He also gets private treatments with liquid nitrogen to help reduce inflammation. James’ home facilities rival those of professional teams. In his home in Akron, James has a fully outfitted workout gym, hot and cold tubs and a hyperbaric chamber.
Ultimately, even with all the support, James feels like taking care of his body has been a personal journey he has had to figure out largely by feel and by mixing work with experimentation.
James is aging better than, perhaps, any player before him. In year 14, he’s averaging 27.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and a career-high nine assists per game. He’s still playing 37.1 minutes a game and hasn’t missed a game this season.
