Unveiling LeBron James' Maintenance Secrets: Stretching Since Age 10, Avoiding Fast Food at 14, and Ice Baths After Games Starting in Senior Year

On February 15th Beijing time, Brad Turner, a Lakers reporter for the Los Angeles Times, wrote about LeBron James' meticulous body care routine. The article included some details never before shared—

After a Lakers home game, LeBron slowly slipped on his ice bath foot sleeves, dipping his left foot, then his right foot into the ice buckets arranged for him. His longtime personal trainer and performance coach Mike Mancias then wrapped his knees and back with ice packs.

LeBron closed his eyes for a few seconds, leaning back in his chair as media gathered around, preparing for postgame interviews.

This was just one step in LeBron’s body maintenance process. It is this extreme care for his body that has supported his illustrious 23-year career, longer than any player in history.

“Obviously, I didn’t know it would be 23 years back then. I wasn’t sure, but I knew I didn’t want to play just six or seven years. Six or seven years doesn’t make a legend,” LeBron told the Los Angeles Times.

“I always had a mission. When I realized I could play at a high level—like when I played with Jordan and others in Chicago during my sophomore year. Then in senior year, playing Cleveland and the Cavaliers, I thought, ‘Oh... I belong here. I really belong here.’ I knew I still had to learn, take care of my body, and keep understanding the game and its details.”

“But I competed against NBA players for a long time, and I thought: ‘If I get a chance to enter the league and show what I can do, the only thing that could stop me is not taking care of my body. The only thing that could prevent me from being the greatest or one of the greatest is if I didn’t look after myself.’ And I did take care of myself. That’s it.”

LeBron’s investment in health maintenance has become legendary in the sports world. He spends over $1.5 million annually on a comprehensive program to keep his body in peak condition.

He spoke about the biohacking techniques he uses to maintain elite performance at 41 and sustain such a long career: Normatec compression boots for legs, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cryotherapy, red light therapy, and various cutting-edge technologies.

He prioritizes sleep and nutrition, strictly avoiding artificial sugars and fried foods.

During this season, when he missed the first 14 games due to sciatica, he even temporarily gave up his beloved red wine to allow his body to fully recover.

“Obviously, as Mike and I developed this plan, the details became more refined,” LeBron said. “We’ve been following this program for 22 years.”

This approach has proven highly effective for LeBron.

Firstly, he became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 42,975 points.

Although his streak of 21 consecutive All-Star starter selections ended, coaches still voted him as a Western Conference All-Star reserve, extending his total All-Star appearances to 22, setting a new league record.

Over the years, LeBron has been offered countless therapies, but he has declined most of them.

“All kinds of things come your way,” LeBron said with a smile. “People always want you to try this or that. But once we established our system, we didn’t let too many outsiders interfere. Of course, a few people helped along the way, but we always knew what we wanted to do.”

LeBron grew up in Akron, Ohio, showing athletic talent from a young age. His uncle, Cortez James, encouraged him to start body care early, and his mother Gloria supported him, urging him to listen to his uncle.

“I was about 10 or 11,” LeBron said. “Back then, I stretched every night before bed and every morning when I woke up. My uncle Cortez made me do 100 calf raises, 50 push-ups, and 50 sit-ups every day.”

Recalling his childhood, LeBron shook his head with a smile.

“He told me, if you want to be great, you have to build strong calves,” LeBron laughed. “I didn’t understand what that meant at all back then. But my uncle made me do it. A good friend also always made me stretch before bed and after waking up. I’ve kept it up for so long.”

At that time, LeBron had no idea what those habits would mean in the future.

“I didn’t know, but I trusted the people around me,” he said,“In my rookie year, I iced after every game, and I was only 18 then. I iced after games in junior and senior years too. I started strength training in senior year.”

LeBron shared a story: at 14, playing AAU with Kendrick Perkins, many players in the stands ate fast food, but he ate healthily.“They were eating McDonald’s,” LeBron laughed, “while I was eating fruit.”

Jason Kidd is now the Mavericks’ head coach, but in 2020 when LeBron led the Lakers to the championship, Kidd was an assistant coach for the Lakers. The two were also teammates on the 2008 Olympic gold medal team in Beijing.

Kidd observed LeBron’s current season averages of 22.0 points, 50.2% shooting, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds, amazed at his efficiency despite such physical wear and tear.

“Physically, LeBron has had some injuries, but he’s always taken care of himself, preparing for this marathon,” Kidd said,

“But I think the hardest part is mental. Waking up every morning knowing you have to compete against 19- and 20-year-olds. He’s won championships, MVPs, been the face of the league, worth billions. So the toughest part is mindset. He loves competition and basketball. To still perform at this level at 41 is incredible.”

Before the Lakers played Kidd’s Mavericks on Friday, LeBron began his physical preparation six hours early. Even though it was the last game before the All-Star break, he showed no sign of easing up.

In LeBron’s view: if you take care of your body, it will reward you at every moment.

“For example, this morning, I woke up and went straight downstairs to stretch, activate, and do some light strength training,” LeBron said after the game,

“Then ice baths, an hour of Normatec compression on my legs, followed by an hour and a half in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Before coming to the arena, I took another cold bath. I arrived at 1:15 pm to start my routine, preparing for the 7 pm game. It’s nonstop all day.”

All these efforts ultimately earned him another record:

A triple-double with 28 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds made LeBron the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, surpassing Karl Malone.

Next, he will set another All-Star appearance record.