NBA Analyst Shannon Sharpe explains why LeBron James deserves a max contract despite his age

LeBron James will be entering his 20th season in the NBA and still he is playing like he just started a couple of years ago. James is still that player for the Lakers on whom the fans and the management can blindly trust. Therefore NBA Analyst Shannon Sharpe explains why the King deserves the max contract.

The four time NBA Champion is easily one of the best players around and despite his age, he has been growing like a fine wine with every passing year. But his age limits him in terms of contract negotiations as he cannot sign a deal for four or more years. Therefore he signed a deal worth $97.1 million for the next two years.

His deal made him the highest paid player in NBA history and hence the entire thing was discussed in the ‘Undisputed’ podcast and Shannon Sharpe explained why he absolutely deserves it.

“Lebron James, even though he’s 37 about to turn 38 in December, then all of a sudden he’s averaging 30, 8 and 6. So, what would a 24-year old, a 25-year old or 30-year old averaging 30, 8 & 6, what would he get? Would he get a max contract? That’s all I am asking,” Sharpe stated.

Sharpe feels that a player should be given a max contract on his merit and not depending on his age. He asked some logical questions on LeBron’s consistent scoring and highlights how he is a very valuable player for the Lakers. “Say from 32 (years old) all the way down to 24 (years old), if they average 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, would they get a max contract? The answer is, absolutely!”

While last season was a forgettable one for the Los Angeles Lakers, it was a historic one for LeBron James individually as he crossed Karl Malone in the all time scorers list and had a decent year personally. However the Lakers had too many problems and ended up not qualifying for the playoffs.

However with changes to their roster and coaching staff, the Lakers are aiming top stage a comeback that everyone else in the league will remember. They have made some crucial additions to the roster and are looking to improve the team in every way possible. With Anthony Davis returning from injury and looking fitter than ever and LeBron James getting better every year, the Lakers will at least look to get into the playoffs this time before taking it forward in the postseason.