"He could play till he 50": Lakers coach Darvin Ham waxes lyrical about LeBron James' timelessness and excellence

Darvin Ham had high praise for LeBron James' work ethic and longevity in the NBA and was pretty confident the four-time NBA champion can stay in the league for many years to come.

Recently, Darvin Ham hopped on SiriusXM NBA radio and explained why James can still play at the highest level despite his age at 39 years old:

"At this age, what he is doing is unprecedented. Hopefully, he has a few more years to come, but if there is anybody that can do it, he can play until he is probably 50.

"Just the way he takes care of himself, his nutrition, his sleep habits, the regimen, everything he does pre-work, during the work, post-work, his regimen, everything he does to make himself not just available, but elite."

The head coach of the LA Lakers, who has 13 years of coaching experience in the NBA with the Lakers, Hawks and Bucks, compared LeBron James' work ethic to that of the late great Kobe Bryant and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo:

“Coming into the league as a coach, being with Kobe for two years. Giannis for four years. Now being with Bron going into the second year, they all have that passion and that care factor about not just being available, but being at the highest level.

“They exhaust every resource to make sure that they’re in the position to really help the entire team. Of the entire environment that they are a part of leading.”

LeBron James has received high praise from the entire league with regard to the way he works on his body to endure an exhausting NBA season. His work ethic has extended his career and it seems he has no plans to call it a day, as he is getting ready for his 21st season in the league.

Darvin Ham is confident about the Lakers' title chances, as LeBron James dismisses retirement plans

The LA Lakers made some strong offseason moves as they were looking to maintain their contending status in the Western Conference.

Coming off a deep postseason run that saw them reach the Western Conference Finals, they now want to take a step ahead and reach the NBA Finals.

And with LeBron James staying with the franchise for at least one more year, Darvin Ham has faith in his team's ability to go all the way:

“Hell yeah; without question. “That’s what we’re in it for,” Darvin Ham said while speaking with Mark Medina of the Sporting Tribune. “We’re about winning around here and winning big.

"It’s not just about, ‘Hey we made the playoffs.’ We’re trying to get to that pinnacle and conquer it. The only thing that is going to stop us is us, if we don’t come with the right mentality and right approach.”

LeBron James dismissed any retirement plans he might have had at the end of last season and announced Wednesday night at the ESPYS in Los Angeles that he will continue playing.

He will now become the sixth player in NBA history to play in his 21st season or beyond -- joining Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Robert Parish, Kevin Willis and Vince Carter, who has the record with 22.

"I don't care how many more points I score or what I can or cannot do on the floor," James said after accepting the ESPY award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

"The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game? The day I can't give everything on the floor is the day I'll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today."

With that in mind, it will be very interesting to see how the Lakers will perform next season. The 17-time NBA champions were one of the best teams in the conference and showed that in the postseason. Hence, their focus will now be on building on that and starting the season strong.

As for LeBron James, his retirement day is still far away and his work ethic and the way he approaches the game could see him play for many more years, confirming Darvin Ham's comments.