LeBron James cannot be human. The man is a physical specimen. Last week, he threw down the dunk of the year over Jusuf Nurkic. At 33 years old and 15 years into his pro career, he's doing things most elite 20-year-olds wouldn't even dream of.
If anyone knows about LeBron's insane athletic ability and training regimen, it's ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who has followed LeBron through his whole career. In a new profile, Windhorst details how LeBron healed his body and repaired his bad lower back.
The profile includes this fascinating little nugget: Apparently, LeBron once gained 7 pounds during a Miami Heat playoff game. Yes, gained.
"Some Miami Heat teammates saw the scale and attest to it in amazement," Windhorst writes. "James himself just shrugs and calls it 'weird as hell.' The truly wild part is that it was from 271 pounds to 278 pounds, though James is much lighter these days."
James currently clocks in around 250. He slimmed down when he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014.
LeBron keeps saying this is the best he's ever felt. This could be the first season of his career in which he plays all 82 games. He played 81 in 2008-09 as a 24-year-old in his second-to-last season with Cleveland before heading to Miami.
Windhorst also writes that LeBron enlisted the help of biomechanics specialist and former Navy SEAL Donnie Raimon to fix his back, which was becoming a big problem in 2015. Together, they have focused on strengthening LBJ's core and posture to take strain off his lower back.
LeBron also credits Mike Mancias, a trainer who's part of his inner circle.
"LeBron is probably one of the best I've seen as far as just, every day you see him just doing stuff with Donnie every day," Cavs coach Ty Lue said, according to Windhorst. "He does a really good job of taking care of his body, and that's why he's able to play the way that he does."
Windhorst writes that James spends "seven figures" a year taking care of his body. File that under "things you can do when you're a soon-to-be billionaire athlete."
