Not only don’t players lead the league in scoring (or nearly so) at 37, they don’t get close to averaging 30. once had an analytical piece headlined: “Is LeBron breaking the aging curve?” It was posted in December 2017. This isn’t exactly breaking news, either. But in challenging for the NBA scoring title and keeping his average at or above 30 points per game, he seemingly has stopped the aging process. He wasn’t able to singlehandedly drag the Los Angeles Lakers into the postseason. But within the confines of the NBA, where 37 can feel like dog years to many players, James’ 2021-22 individual season hasn’t just been remarkable. When NFL quarterback Peyton Manning suited up for Denver as a 37-year-old in 2013, he put up the biggest numbers of his career: 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns.Īs far as hockey, we’re not even going to go there considering all-timer Gordie Howe scored 206 of his 975 goals after turning 37.Īgainst that backdrop, maybe what LeBron James has done this season shouldn’t seem so astonishing. In 2001, Randy (Big Unit) Johnson at age 37 struck out a career-high 372 batters, went 21-6 for the Arizona Diamondbacks and earned the fourth of his five Cy Young Awards. It was the most the legendary Atlanta Braves star ever hit in a season, vaulting him into position to chase down Babe Ruth’s record of 714 in 1974. Henry Aaron slugged 47 home runs in 1971, when he was 37 years old. LeBron James and Stephen Curry have put up ageless scoring numbers.
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