Lakers' LeBron James turns 40, NBA assistant coaches & medical experts dish on his wisdom, longevity and speculate on retirement (EXCLUSIVE)

A handful of opposing team assistant coaches and outside medical experts gushed about LeBron James’ longevity in his 22nd NBA season. They also expressed concern on how the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching and training staff can help ensure the 40-year-old James can defy Father Time just a little bit more.

“Managing him is a very difficult task from a health standpoint and a minutes standpoint,” one NBA assistant coach told Sportskeeda. “You’re always going to be better with him on the floor. Every minute that he’s not on the floor, you know you’re going to be worse off.”

With James turning 40 on Monday, Sportskeeda talked with three NBA assistant coaches and three outside medical experts. The three NBA assistant coaches spoke anonymously since they’re not authorized to speak about opposing team’s players. Three medical experts spoke on-the-record, but they had not worked with James and do not have access to his medical records.

The panel included:

Dr. Zahab Ahsan, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Endeavor Health

Dr. Alan Beyer, executive medical director of Hoag Orthopedic Institute

Dr. Joshua Wright-Chisem, orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Endeavor Health

Both the assistant coaches and doctors spoke candidly on how James has played in his 22nd season and his recent foot injury. Most of them also shared what they think James’ workload will entail the rest of the season and how much longer he will play.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversations took place separately and before the Lakers-Nets trade on Sunday. The interviews have been condensed and edited.

How do you evaluate LeBron James’ season so far?

Assistant coach #1: “He’s a problem. He’s not what he was. But that being said, he’s still an elite talent in our league for his knowledge of the game and the way that he can impact both sides of the ball. The way he is on defense, I wouldn’t say he’s a great defender anymore. But he can take you out of things you’re doing because he sees it all. He’s still a very impactful player every night. When you play the Lakers, he’s in your game plan (laughs). That’s more important than how his numbers are. He’s always going to be mentioned in the team scout when you’re playing the Lakers. I don’t look at his numbers. He’s one of those guys where the numbers don’t matter. You’re not going to leave LeBron open for 3s anymore. You used to be able to a little bit. The numbers only matter if it can make you say, ‘We don’t have to guard him.’ And that’s not the case (laughs).”

Assistant coach #2: “I don’t know how he’s doing it. I honestly feel like he looks better than he did two years ago. I can’t explain why that’s happening. But there are times when he’s out there that he’s looking like he’s getting better. It doesn’t make sense. It’s wild to watch him physically with how much energy and how much pop he has. He looks incredible. I wouldn’t say his game his different. He’s doing what he usually does. But he looks completely settled in and comfortable there. He's had enough time and experience to be with that organization. When you’re at a place for a while, there’s a comfort level that comes with it. That’s what he looks like.”

Assistant coach #3: “The desire to win that he still has despite everything he’s accomplished is just why he’s one of the all-time greats. To have that mindset still with everything he’s accomplished and everything that he’s done and still carry a team speaks to how much love he has for the game.”

Ahsan: “It’s really impressive. He’s really defied aging and really has done something that very few players in the NBA, if any, have done in the past. He has excellent genetics. He has excellent dedication to his diet, exercise and time management to optimize what he can do on the court. The most impressive part about him is the performance that he’s having and the minutes that he’s playing against players that are sometimes half his age.”

Beyer: “LeBron has been an enigma this year. I thought the agreement was that they would really time manage him and cut back his minutes in hopes that his 39-year-old body can last through the NBA season. That hasn’t been the case. He’s been playing almost as many minutes this season (35.0) as he has in any season in his career (37.9). He’s certainly had his share of a couple setbacks with having to sit out a few games. I think they have to use LeBron much more judiciously if they expect him to last through the rest of the season, especially for a team that is only slightly playing above .500 ball. They are missing pieces. LeBron and [Anthony Davis] are really their only defense until [Jarred] Vanderbilt comes back. So they’ve had to lean on them extra heavy for defense than expected. This is going to take a toll as we get into February and March.”

Chisem: “I think that just like people would expect, he’s exceeded expectations for someone his age. He made that one statement earlier in the year that was notable and optimistic about trying to play every game this season. But as you saw earlier this month, he has shown a high ability to listen to his body and missed two games with his left foot injury. LeBron has had a lot of good luck. He doesn’t have a long history of knee injuries, and those type of injuries can limit you. But in the last few seasons, he has managed some left and right foot injuries. But overall he has been able to manage those with treatment and rehab. In general, he has been very impressive with playing at a high level and also being in tune with his body and knowing when he reached a point that he needs to receive treatment.”

How do you put all of LeBron’s longevity into perspective? He’s in his 22nd season and about to turn 40. His resume speaks for itself. But LeBron is still playing at an All-Star caliber level as the team’s main focal point.

Assistant coach #1: “He’s one of the greatest players of all time. Based on his age and what he’s able to do, we’ve never seen anything like that. Mortality comes to us all in different ways. But LeBron seems to be avoiding that in miraculous ways. His impact on the game has not declined as much. You can say he doesn’t run as fast or doesn’t jump as high. But as an opposing coach, you still look him as very impactful and dangerous. Do you want to tell me he’s not what he was? Okay, but what was that?

People closer to him may say he doesn’t have it every single night. But I don’t see him every single night. From my lens, I see LeBron a few times a year. And every time I see him, he’s still pretty damn good. He’s still impactful. He still runs, jumps and leaps over tall buildings. He blocks shots in transition. He attacks the rim. And he’s smarter than he was before. As you grow in anything, you gain wisdom. He's smarter than he was even two years ago. What’s more important – wisdom or athleticism? I don’t know. In our game, we’re losing wisdom in all areas among young coaches and young players. But wisdom is huge. And LeBron is a wise soul. He’s still dangerous and plays at a high level.”

Assistant coach #2: “It’s another tribute to his basketball mind. He’s one of the elite coaches in the NBA, but he’s also a player (laughs). He has a beautiful basketball mind. Coaching and playing is so different. Coaching in the NBA is an acquired skill. It takes so much time and experience to get that craft. With time and the amount of games and film study, coaches over time may develop this feel for what’s happening in real time out there no matter how fast the game is being played. But LeBron is doing that in his mind like a coach would, but he’s playing at the same time. He’s reading and feeling the game, and he knows all of the intricacies of personnel, Xs and Os and spacing. It’s all of these intricacies that we’re trying to dissect in real time from the sidelines. And he’s doing it as an elite level NBA head coach, and he’s also playing at the same time. It’s a hell of a combination.”

Assistant coach #3: “What he’s still able to do at his age and not just his age, the miles he’s been through and the amount of playoffs and Finals games and still be able to do it at this level is one of the most incredible things that has ever happened. The fact that he’s been able to take care of his body and maintain it at the highest level for this long? There’s all sorts of other records. But to me, that is one of the more impressive ones because availability is everything. He’s always available, and he’s been doing it for 22 years.”

Ahsan: “I think that’s the most impressive thing. The only other athlete that I can think of that has done this in their 40s is Tom Brady. Obviously, a different sport. But both really broke through some barriers that we have seen in our sports history. We don’t see most athletes perform at their top after age 40 or around age 40. There is so much more respect and admiration for LeBron with what he’s been able to accomplish with the longevity of his career.”

Beyer: “With his drive, he’s one of those once-in-a-generation players like Kobe [Bryant] to excel and has the God-given physical ability to do that. Guys can’t just do it because they want to do it. They have to have the gifts that they’ve been given to be able to do it. The problem is other players that played almost as long had a lot of other players on their team that were great players. LeBron doesn’t have that. He’s only got AD.”

Chisem: “What’s interesting as we all watch his career is that we all can see that he doesn’t elevate or have the same first step when he was 26 years old. But he still has an athletic advantage over a lot of people. If you look at his injury health, a lot of that is his dedication he took to take care of himself as well as luck and fortune. The longevity he set is totally at a different level than we’ve ever seen.”

On one hand, LeBron said he felt better physically and mentally after taking a week off to heal his left foot. On the other hand, he conceded that the injury isn’t behind him. To what extent does LeBron’s week-long absence encourage you or discourage you about his health moving forward?

Assistant coach #1: “You never know what to expect because he’s already trumped the expected. How do you set an expectation for LeBron, who’s already thrown out expectations? What would you expect for a normal person? You’d expect him to decline and not be nearly as good as he ages. But how can you expect something out of someone that has trumped expectations? You can’t say since he’s 40, it’s going to be way different than when he was 38. When he was 35, people were saying, ‘How is he going to be at 36? He’s aging.’ He’s 40, and has already trumped expectations. That’s the riddle. I can’t predict about LeBron James. But what you can predict is he’ll still be a damn good basketball player. He’ll still be in your scouting report, and he’ll still be a problem when he’s out there.”

Assistant coach #2: “It’s a very difficult task to manage him, his health and minutes and his wear and tear during an NBA season. But from my standpoint, it’s hard for me to fathom him being vulnerable. He seems like a super-human person. I don’t feel any concern about his health.”

Assistant coach #3: “As long as he can stay healthy, he’s going to keep doing what he does. Obviously, I’m not up to speed with everything that’s going on there. But he’s having an incredible year.”

Ahsan: “I’ve followed LeBron for most of his career. In general, he’s been resilient and misses very little time in most seasons. I think it will be shown. But with him having a week off for a foot injury, it suggests that he’s being more cautious and conservative as he is aging. Time will tell.”

Beyer: “If you take time off as a 40-year-old who has been beaten up as much as he has, one week isn’t going to do it. It’s going to be months. He obviously can’t afford to take off months. The interesting thing about LeBron is that for the first 15-17 years of his career, he was remarkably injury-free. Then when he started getting some nagging groin, muscle and tendon issues, he didn’t know how to deal with it because he had never dealt with injuries before. He’s been learning how to deal with his body when he gets this bang-ups. They add up and they take their toll. He's learning how to deal with it, with how to play through the pain. It’s a lot harder to play through pain when you’re 40 than it is when you’re 22. I think LeBron is learning a lot about his own body. He’s learning that he’s really as old as the calendar says that he is.”

Chisem: “Being able to watch him before and after the absence, I’m really encouraged. I think there were real improvements with how he moved physically after the absence. In terms of what he did during that period, you can presume that rest was involved. But the other treatments are totally speculative. He’s had prolonged absences for ankle injuries in the past. But he has always come back at a really high level. How long does this period where he’s super engaged last? It’s not clear. But he has shown an ability to listen to his body and know when he needs a break and knows when he needs treatment. It’s been really impressive.”

What do you think LeBron’s workload looks like moving forward?

Assistant coach #1: “His minutes right now seem like a lot to me. You’re asking me how he’s going to age, and that’s fair. How’s LeBron James going to age with all of these minutes and turning 40. The more minutes he plays doesn’t help him. There is a component of load, and I heard LeBron mention a while back that he’s still playing with the same tires. With nightly load, less is more for all of the veteran stars. Cumulative miles don’t go away. Managing is important. I know LeBron takes care of his body and manages that and works at it. He’s elite at managing his own car. To play this long, it’s not just the skillset. It’s managing the human body. He’s very good at it and spends a lot of time. He’s getting body work, lifting, sleeping and eating well. I would not discount the amount of hours LeBron James puts into his craft, and it’s not just the craft with his shooting. When he was young, he spent a lot of time working on his skills. But my guess is he spends more time on his body and all things included with the performance than his skill.”

Assistant coach #2: “You have to be on the inside there and would need all the information. Without having that information, it’s hard for me to speculate. But I think no matter what, managing him is a very difficult task from a health standpoint and a minutes standpoint. You’re always going to be better with him on the floor. Every minute that he’s not on the floor, you know you’re going to be worse off. It’s different when it’s a star player and you’re just missing scoring and production. But he’s making everyone around him better. So you’re not only hurting the team with his absence. You’re hurting his teammates as well with how they play.”

Ahsan: “From an NBA coach and management perspective, some of that is dependent on the team and the team’s performance. I don’t think he should be viewed as, ‘We need to use LeBron as much as we can.’ They would like to preserve him as much as they can throughout the season. If the team has the opportunity to make the postseason, they want him to be fresh and have the capacity to perform in the playoffs. With everything we’ve seen from him in the past in the playoffs and regular season, it’s been very impressive. But they have to gauge what he’s capable of and take it game-by-game. But I personally see the benefit in a load management strategy throughout the regular season to keep him fresh. If the Lakers have four games in seven nights, it’s probably wise for LeBron to miss one of those games just to allow him to mitigate the risk of injury. Increased frequency of games and less downtime and recovery time in between games may put him at higher risk for an injury.”

Beyer: “I don’t think LeBron should be playing more than 30 minutes per game, or taking games off on back-to-backs or ones where there are a day apart on the road. He’s going to be 40 years old, and he came into the league when he was 18. He didn’t go to college. Almost every single season he has been in the NBA, he has gone deep into the playoffs. So he's probably got a lot more on his 22-year odometer than a regular player. He probably has about 25 seasons of wear on his odometer because of his playoff play. This is a guy who has been through a lot.”

Chisem: “In general, I don’t think they will change much. If that left foot bothers him, they will give him some time. But this is a team that focuses on the postseason. LeBron and AD are really trying to keep the ship afloat until roster changes are made and other players come back from injury. You can tell that he is interested to stay on the court. There will be an overall focus to make sure he is optimized for the postseason. But in the near future, I don’t see any changes at all. How long that lasts is a good question. The near future is hard to say. They’ve talked about Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt coming back, but that’s all speculative. If the support is there, I think LeBron will appreciate it. But until that happens, I think he plans to play as much as his body holds up.”

When do you think he will retire?

Assistant coach #1: “Knowing LeBron, he’s going to end it the right way somehow. And where does he finish his career? It’s the unknown. He hasn’t said he’s going to finish his career in LA. But he hasn’t said he’s not either.”

Assistant coach #2: “As long as they have enough talent around him, because he’s so smart, big and strong, he’s going to be able to have production. But you got to have AD and you have to have shooting. You have to have players around him. But if he’s healthy, he’s going to produce. I don’t see his production slowing down as long as they don’t do anything drastic with the roster.”

Ahsan: “Great question. I would say one or two more seasons would be the max. He’s proven everything he needs to, and will go from there. But it’s hard to say. I would be surprised if he plays more than two more years. But he would be the one to prove us wrong.”

Beyer: “I think LeBron will be like Kobe, Jack Nicklaus and a lot of other great generational athletes in that when he’s not able to play at the level that he holds himself to, he will hang it up. He won’t hang around longer just to say he did it while he was older than Tom Brady. When LeBron can’t perform to LeBron’s standards, he will go out while he still is on top.

“I think it could be this year or it could be next year. Here’s the problem. The Lakers could be in a struggle just to make the playoffs, no less go deep in them. If they don’t make the playoffs and his performance has declined, I think this season might be the season. If the Lakers manage to make the playoffs and go a round or two in the playoffs, you might see him for one more year. But I think we’re getting near the end of the LeBron era. The Lakers need a major rebuild, and have to just take that on.”

Chisem: “We have to accept that he’s likely going to leave the game on his own terms. Unlike other players that end their career because the writing is on the wall, LeBron has been able to be so physically and athletically dominant as well as adjust his skillset to any changes that he has faced physically on the court. So he can play as long as he’d like. He’s going to leave on his own terms.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.