Cavs former general manager David Griffin weighs in on LeBron James’ longevity

Cleveland Cavaliers former general manager David Griffin credits LeBron James’ fanatical approach to the game for his ability to be as dominant as ever despite being 33-years-old.

In a piece written by Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, a number of NBA executives, past and present, weighed on the potential longevity of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James. Among those that opined on the topic was Cleveland Cavaliers former general manager David Griffin, who became a beloved force in the Cavaliers front office in 2014 thanks to his masterful trades and ability to connect with the team.

"“He can be truly elite as long as the game continues to hold his singular focus,” Griffin said. “No one puts in more time on and off the floor. He fanatically maintains his body and the vast majority of his explosiveness.“He has added something to his repertoire every offseason to combat any loss of athleticism he perceives,” Griffin continued. “As he evolves to become a better shooter and less dependent upon overwhelming you physically, he is also becoming even more cerebral.”"

Griffin’s opinion was more analytical than other executives.

"“He has two or three years left at an elite level,” an NBA agent said, a sentiment echoed by the Western Conference executive."

"The executive from the East, however, didn’t agree: “He’ll be LBJ for however long he wants. He’s a freak. I’m confident he can dominate for another five to six years.”"

Analyzing Griffin’s analysis, his intimate knowledge of James gives him a better perspective than those who have watched from afar. Calling James’ workout regimen fanatical is accurate. James has a wide array of workouts and has consistently said that he physically feels better when he’s engaged in a daily workout routine than when takes a day off.

In the offseason, James made waves with when he posted videos of his ‘gym rat mentality’ right after the conclusion of the 2017 NBA Finals (the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors, 4-1).

Here’s a workout compilation gathered from James’ 2016-2017 season:

Most players incrementally lose athleticism as they pass the age of 30-years-old. When they get to James’ current age, 33-years-old, they’ve certainly lost a step.

Yet, in James’ first 11 seasons, he dunked 115.7 times per season. In his last three seasons, prior to this season, James dunked 114.7 times per season. This season, James has 88 dunks with 16 games left in the season and is on pace for 109 dunks this season.

That’s not to say James’ athleticism hasn’t declined at all.

He can’t explode past defenders as well as he used to, often needing to back up to gain steam or use a screen to get past the initial defender.

Still, he’s far more athletic than many people in the league, let alone his age.

James came into the NBA as one of the best athletes in the league and thanks to his workout regimen, diet and yes, a “fanatical” focus on maintaining his body, he’s continued to defy Father Time.

Father Time, as well all know, is undefeated in the world of sports. However, he may have met his match in King James. That’s even more true as James uses his knowledge of the game, passing ability, enhanced shooting touch and low-post skills to dominate rather than just overwhelming players with his physicality.

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*All stats gathered by www.basketball-reference.com