LeBron James

At the age of 39, when most players have retired, LeBron James is still considered one of the best stars in the NBA. In the 2023/24 season alone, LeBron James averaged 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists with an efficiency of up to 53.8%.

Of course, despite his stellar form, LeBron James is certainly showing signs of aging. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has been less likely to make the same bold, explosive plays he did in his younger days, as his stamina and fitness no longer allow him to do so as often.

So why can LeBron James still maintain his impressive form in the 2023/24 season? The answer lies in his 3-point shot, as the 39-year-old star has continuously improved this ability throughout his playing career.

LeBron James

According to coach Dave Hopla, who serves as a shooting coach for many NBA teams, he has closely followed LeBron James’ entire career since 2023. He admits that LeBron James’ improvement in his 3-point shooting has helped him maintain his peak form in the NBA.

“Previously, LeBron James often leaned to the left when shooting 3-pointers, affecting his accuracy. However, he has improved this in recent years and that is the difference in LeBron James’ games,” Dave Hopla shared with ESPN.

Looking back to the 2003/04 season when LeBron James first appeared in the NBA, he only made 29% of his three-point shots. Even though he improved in the years since, LeBron James has never been considered an effective long-range shooter.

However, this has changed in recent years. In the 2023/24 season alone, LeBron James is shooting 41.3% from 3-point range, much higher than the league average of 36.6%. Not long ago, LeBron James also shot 9/10 3-point shots against the Brooklyn Nets, an almost unbelievable performance even in practice.

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The last time LeBron James shot over 40% from three was in 2012-13, when he converted 40.6% of his threes. However, LeBron James averaged just 3.3 threes that season, far fewer than the 5.2 he attempted per game in 2023-24.

Improving his three-point shooting ability helps LeBron James still pose a huge threat to opposing defenses in addition to his trademark bold breakthroughs. Not to mention, this also helps LeBron James conserve energy better during matches, which is extremely necessary when he is 39 years old.

LeBron James’ top form will be the hope for the Los Angeles Lakers in getting past the Play-In round and going further in the 2023/24 NBA Playoff stage.