Is Lebron The Most Athletic Old Guy In Sports History?

[bigillwill06]

Decline has been enormous, no idea where anyone is getting "No significant decline" from.

He's lost top-end speed, hops, lateral movement, lift on his jumper, endurance, and he heals slow from everything. He frequently can't get past his guy unless he times it right and isn't elevating over defenders on layups. He's pretty much Wolverine in Logan status now.

A lot of younger cats don’t realize how athletic and explosive lbj was to also go along with elite straight line speed with a wide receiver stride. Lebron is more of an aging elite football athlete trapped in an nba player build. Think Deion sanders still running a 4.3 at 37 but still being nowhere near what he was in his 20s. But once again still faster than most corners in the league. Same thing wit bron.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Think Deion sanders still running a 4.3 at 37 but still being nowhere near what he was in his 20s. But once again still faster than most corners in the league. Same thing wit bron.

And straight line speed is the last to go. Jason Gatlin was ranked #1 at the 100m at one point when he was 39. That's an outlier of course, but generally you begin to lose your shiftiness first.

 

[DANKTHRONE]

Barry Bonds

 

[Saint1]

George Foreman.
Lost Rumble in the Jungle. 17 years later became champ.
17 years later. A whole extended NBA career later he went back and did it.

Big George Foreman.

 

[NoHalfWay]

He’s up there, he’s definitely lost quite a bit of his athleticism tho. But it’s like instead of a Demi-god, he’s now just an enhanced super soldier

 

[murksiderock]

Echoing others, the athletic decline has been gigantic. In addition to other characteristics posted:

He had a putback slam in one of the last two games and was only a few inches above the rim; also attempted to block one of Steph's layups and even though Steph arc'ed it high off the glass, LeBron couldn't reach it, whereas in years past we've seen Bron get up high enough to smack shyt like that...

His first step is gone and his straight line speed is diminished. It's amazing he still has plays where he's the fastest guy on the court because he's significantly slower than he used to be...

This thread really should be asking where did Peak Bron rank in terms of All-Time athleticism...

 

[CHERUB]

The decline has been pretty steep. He was just ridiculously athletic when he was younger. He never had to pick his spots or conserve energy like he does now

This. Just youtube prime Lebron. A lot of people didn't appreciate it cuz they was hating but the shyt he was doing in miami amd those last few years in the 1st Cavs run? Shyyyyttt. That said to answer op question...Yes. he shouldn't be doing what he doing right now. We've never seen it before i think maybe Wayne Gretskey.

 

[murksiderock]

This. Just youtube prime Lebron. A lot of people didn't appreciate it cuz they was hating but the shyt he was doing in miami amd those last few years in the 1st Cavs run? Shyyyyttt. That said to answer op question...Yes. he shouldn't be doing what he doing right now. We've never seen it before i think maybe Wayne Gretskey.

Yeah that was his athletic peak, he's been on an athletic decline since he returned to Cleveland 9 years ago. It's just the hill he's been coming down from was so fukking high...

 

[Regular_P]

I always thought Jordan was still really quick on the Wizards. He wasn't in the best shape and the lift wasn't the same but his side-to-side, quick twitch movement on offense was still mostly there.

 

[Leonard Washington]

Most athletic old guy is definitely Ken Stabler, who was still playing quarterback for the Saints at 57.

Guy looks like he belongs on U.S. currency

 

[Brolic]

The decline has already happened. LeBron has been washed since 2019

https://www.thecoli.com/threads/ledecline-is-finally-happening.740209/

 

[BlackAchilles]

Oh he's def lost a lot of athleticism, but he's an all time physical phenom in sports, so he had room to decline

Guys like KG and Kobe came out of HS looking like string beans and had to bulk up to be effective as superstar players

LeBron was a strong player at 18 and filled out into looking like a WWE wrestler and now 20 years later he's out here sonning zoomers

 

[getmoney310cpt]

Someone said it earlier in thread but Jeff Green is still surprisingly bouncy nikka be putting nikkas in the rim and blockin shyt like he in 20s..

League going random drug test him for sure lol

 

[I'm Blackman]

He's had a big decline....but it's either him or Floyd

 

[steph_harden]

Before he injured his foot he was probably one of the 10 most athletic guys in the league…forget age. Dude is a freak.