For the longest time, health has been at the core of Lebron James’ career. With good health comes longevity, and James has been able to set, break, and extend records that could very well be unreachable decades after he calls it a career. 

This season, though, has put a test to the very foundation that has made James what he is today. 

As of this writing, James has missed 14 of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 21 games due to sciatica and left foot joint arthritis. The four-time NBA champion is also having his worst season numbers-wise, but then again, not a lot have played at his age with his mileage. In fact, James’ 16.1 points per game is lower than even his rookie season, where he averaged 20.9 points per game. Of course, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer can still bring his scoring average for this season back to the 20s, but as it stands, it’s an uphill climb. 

James’ performance against the Philadelphia 76ers, however, was a glimpse of what James at his best can offer the Lakers this season. 

There was a different pep in James’ step as he was doing a little bit of everything to help Los Angeles outlast the Sixers. The 23-year veteran wasn’t afraid to bang bodies with highly-touted rookie VJ Edgecombe and whoever Philadelphia threw at him. Even at 40, defenses continue to give him the respect he was due back in his prime. Yet none of it mattered to James, who took over in the fourth quarter and snuffed the life out of the Sixers. 

That’s the thing, though. The words “back in his prime”, “turned back the clock”, and “vintage performance” are now being thrown around with James and his current health issues are making it even more prominent. Even in the remote chance he gets a clean bill of health later this season, it would be too much of an ask to have James go all out in the next 61 games. 

James has already missed two-thirds of Los Angeles’ games thus far and will likely sit out more games going forward. This will surely make him ineligible for the league’s regular season awards, but that hasn’t been his chase at this point in his career. Moverover, the 21-time All-Star has deferred to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, both of whom are posting career numbers. 

But don’t assume that LeBron James will be a mere spectator in this current iteration of the Los Angeles Lakers. This new role allows him to pick his spots and maximize the openings created by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. All of that will not only allow James to work his way back to health, but it will also save him for moments like this.