LeBron James clarifies remarks about his long-term health

Much was made of LeBron James’ recent remarks about never being fully healthy again, and the Los Angeles Lakers star finds a lot of it overblown.

Earlier in May, James made headlines when he said he would “never get back to 100 percent in my career.” Some even took it as an admission that James’ best days are behind him, and the rest of his playing days will be spent battling pain.

James was clearly unimpressed with this interpretation. On Saturday, he said the remark was “blown out of context” and suggested that the only time he’d ever been 100 percent was the very first time he set foot on the floor in the league.

LeBron James clarified his comments after his original return that he didn't think he's ever get back to being 100% in his career. LeBron: "Whatever I say gets blown out of context. As soon as I step on an NBA floor for the first time, I went to 99.9%."

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) May 15, 2021

James is 36 years old. He’s obviously not the same physically as he was when he was younger and in his prime, which seems to be what he meant.

The veteran is working his way back from a right ankle injury that has essentially sidelined him since March, and it may not really clear up much for the playoffs. He looked fine on Saturday, however, tallying 24 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in his return to action against Indiana.