"Your aliens are your athletes" - Former NBA champion cites LeBron James' longevity to call out fans undervaluing today's athletes

Athletes nowadays appear to be having longer primes and perhaps the greatest example of this is LeBron James. The LA Lakers star turned 39 in December of last year, yet he continued to put up superstar-caliber numbers that are typically seen in a man half his age.

The way that the top stars remain effective late into their 30s is something to marvel at, but Boston Celtics champion Kevin Garnett thinks that it has somehow affected the fans negatively.

In the Aug. 22 episode of 'Ticket & The Truth,' which he co-hosts with fellow champion Paul Pierce, Garnett went on a rant, saying that fans have become spoiled by what NBA stars are doing.

"You know what's crazy bro?" Garnett asked Pierce. "I was thinking about this. Man, we have lost our way. When we watch the athletes so much, and so much of years of greatness, that man, we the fans have become spoiled. Man I'm sitting up here listening to this, like bro, we're talking about aliens, you know where your aliens are? Your aliens are your athletes."

We just saw the Olympics right? No regular person in there that had on their country was regular. And as fans we gotta always make sure that we appreciate, what we are seeing out of these athletes. You don't know the countless hours that these athletes now put in to be these types of athletes.

Garnett continued his rant by challenging the fans to go around their respective neighborhoods to look for a 40-year-old and see if they can do what today's athletes are doing.

I want you to go in your neighborhood and walk up and down your block, knock on the door and ask whoever is in there, a 40-year-old to come outside. That's how a real 40-year-old look like.

He specifically named LeBron, who is turning 40 this December, and mentioned that he can be considered an anomaly for doing the things he is doing at this age.

Last season, at 39 years old, LeBron James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. He also averaged 35.3 minutes in 71 games, which isn't quite typical for NBA stars.

Despite these fantastic numbers, LeBron is likely in the twilight of his career. There will surely be fans who will miss what he does when he finally decides to hang up his sneakers.

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LeBron James sets a boundary for son Bronny James in the workplace

LeBron James has played for so long that he is about to accomplish something no other NBA player has done before, play with his son on the same team.

Bronny James, LeBron's eldest son, was taken 55th overall by the LA Lakers in the 2024 Draft. While this is a dream come true for LeBron, it could also create some awkward, if not hilarious, moments when they are in the team facility or when they are playing a game.

In order to prevent, or perhaps lessen the chances of such moments happening, LeBron drew a clear boundary. That boundary is that his son cannot call him "dad" when they are within the team facility or in a game. He added that he can go back to being Bronny's dad outside of games or practices, but not until then.

In fact, LeBron even made a hilarious tweet imagining how being called "dad" by Bronny could go while in a game.

The fact that LeBron James was able to remain in the league long enough for his eldest son to join him is another testament to his longevity. This coming season, fans will get to see how the first father-son duo will fare in the NBA with great interest.