LeBron needs to lose weight

[Solid Snake]

What's the point of him being as big as he is if he doesn't play in the post, doesn't rebound, and now due to his size and maybe age and mileage catching up to him (seeing as how he can't score and play diverse enough basketball with his skills to warrant being slower) can't blow by defenders with his first step?

This is all that needs to be said.

[che guevara]

He looks the same as he did in 2008.

[ginobli2311]

I actually do think lebron should lose a little weight. like 10 pounds or so. losing ten pounds would not decrease his strength or ability to get to the rim. it might allow him to get to the rim more often though.

i don't know why people are laughing at this. he looks slow and heavy out there at times.

and LOL at the idea that lebron is a sidekick to wade. they are nearly the exact same player and both are playing at almost the exact same level this year....although lebron has been slightly better overall and his defense has been better as well

i prefer wade to lebron, but its very very close and to call either of them a sidekick is retarded.

[nbacardDOTnet]

Losing the ego would take him down to about 230 or so. That's a start.

[Indian guy]

Yes, I said it.

And this isn't another excessive criticisms of LeBron that has been en-vogue since July 2010.

I'm saying it based off what I have seen this year, and after just having watched highlights of his from 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 (he really started bulking up more last year)

But he needs to lose some weight to regain some of his explosive quickness and leaping ability.

What's the point of him being as big as he is if he doesn't play in the post, doesn't rebound, and now due to his size and maybe age and mileage catching up to him (seeing as how he can't score and play diverse enough basketball with his skills to warrant being slower) can't blow by defenders with his first step?

His first step used to be lethal. Watching his game highlights up until last year, he would explode by people and rise up. I've noticed this year he's getting a little less higher on dunks, but the more noticeable thing to me is that he isn't just exploding by people anymore already at only 25 years old.

Against the Knicks and Wizards I saw him have to make extra moves with the ball that just a year or two ago he didn't have to in order to get by people. He wasn't exactly blowing by Gallinari, and Nick Young stayed in front of him fairly well too.

Does anyone else not think he needs to regain his explosiveness in order to be truly effective? I mean as of right now the Heat are ballin, and he's a great sidekick to what Wade has been doing. But I think with a little less weight, and more quickness and explosion, the Heat would be even more dangerous.

His body needs to be where it was at in 2007 and 2008, specifically. Right now he's built like Karl Malone, but trying to play like smooth, sleek, doberman-esque Scottie Pippen of the early to late 90's.

Anyone else agree?

Accurate post with the exception of this

and he's a great sidekick to what Wade has been doing.

Really? :. LeBron's been Miami's best player this season by EVERY statistical metric out there.

[50inchvertical]

I agree he seems a step slower (relative to his normal level which is still > 99.9% of the word) than in yr's past. He hasn't head an eye at rim level dunk this yr like in 2007 when he'd give us one of those a game.

He came into the league at 6'8 247 and 7%bf so it's not like he is ever going to be small and not have a physical advantage over whoever is guarding him.

Problem is, it seems to be legit lean mass and not fat, and losing muscle without it having an adverse affect on energy levels and overall health is tricky.

[Indian guy]

He looks the same as he did in 2008.

I'm sure he weighs about the same, but problem is, he's getting older and can't continue relying on his freakish gifts. He may have had PG-like quickness before weighing 260+, but clearly doesn't anymore. He obviously needs to lose some weight to regain some of his old explosiveness. He looks SLOW this season and is entirely reliant on picks to get by his man.

[thejumpa]

I'm sure he weighs about the same, but problem is, he's getting older and can't continue relying on his freakish gifts. He may have had PG-like quickness before weighing 260+, but clearly doesn't anymore. He obviously needs to lose some weight to regain some of his old explosiveness. He looks SLOW this season and is entirely reliant on picks to get by his man.

Gettin older? Bro he's like 26. He's young. He'll be able to rely on his "freakish gifts" until he's in his 30's. Look at a guy like Jordan. Even when his body declined, he was still super athletic well into his 30's. As long as LeBron doesn't get seriously hurt and/or slack on diet or whatever, he'll be no different.

I don't see the point of losing weight now because A. He's playing the best ball of his life IMO and B. Miami is winning. Even if he's a step slower and not as athletic as he was last year(which I don't believe), he still has a crazy advantange over most players. His "freakish gifts" are still enough to get it done.

Also, just because you lose weight doesn't mean you will gain explosiveness or anything. As a matter of fact, it's usually the other way around.

[ginobli2311]

Gettin older? Bro he's like 26. He's young. He'll be able to rely on his "freakish gifts" until he's in his 30's. Look at a guy like Jordan. Even when his body declined, he was still super athletic well into his 30's. As long as LeBron doesn't get seriously hurt and/or slack on diet or whatever, he'll be no different.

I don't see the point of losing weight now because A. He's playing the best ball of his life IMO and B. Miami is winning. Even if he's a step slower and not as athletic as he was last year(which I don't believe), he still has a crazy advantange over most players. His "freakish gifts" are still enough to get it done.

Also, just because you lose weight doesn't mean you will gain explosiveness or anything. As a matter of fact, it's usually the other way around.

there is no reason for a perimeter player to be carrying around extra weight. you guys clearly have not watched all the heat games this year. lebron does not have the same lift or quickness he had last year.

yes, he still is quicker than 90% of the league and more athletic than 99.9% of the league. but that is not what we are saying.

if you have watched the games this year you would understand the idea of lebron shedding ten to fifteen pounds. i think it would help him.

he doesn't need the extra weight because he doesn't post up or play down low or anything. he needs to be able to get around guys and not charge into them.

[Profound]

Lebron is fine right now he looks slow because he isn't exactly playing with a team that plays with a lot of room on the offensive end(no matter how much they try), he will have to lose weight when he does get older not just because of quickness but all the weight he has may cause damage to his legs. I do agree that losing some weight wouldn't be too much to ask considering he rarely ever has to defend someone in the post nor does he post-up either, the added quickness could improve his ability to break down defenses but he already does that well so there's truly no need to drop his weight. Some positives to his weight are the fact that he can finish with contact and can use his bigger size to bully smaller defenders.

[LA KB24]

Are you guys serious?
Losing 10 pounds isn't going to help him become more explosive.

LeBron is fine.

[LA KB24]

Also, just because you lose weight doesn't mean you will gain explosiveness or anything. As a matter of fact, it's usually the other way around.

This.

[ginobli2311]

seems to be that the general consensus is that lebron losing ten pounds won't hurt him much and won't help him much.

my question:

why carry around the extra weight then?

[Nobler]

Samurai Swoosh this is perhaps the dumbest thing u have ever said. Lebron age and mileage catching up with him? Dude's young man and his game is adapting to a new team. Everybody needs to get off dudes nutz and quit trying to put him under a microscope

[ginobli2311]

the premise of this thread is off. Lebron's first step off the dribble hasnt never really been super quick except for maybe his first 2 years in the league. What is elite is the speed after the first step.

right. which his even more reason to shed some pounds because his first step is noticeably slower than it was last year.

but that is not even the point. we aren't saying he's slowing down a ton or age has caught up with him. he's been nursing that shin injury and something else on his leg i think as well.

but look. do i think lebron would be better off losing 15 pounds? yes...i do. and its not an absurd stance.

i can only speak from personal experience. after high school i hit the weights big time in the summer before my first year playing ball in college. i went from 6'4 200 to 6'5 225. i played terrible early on for the first month and the trainer came to me and said....look...you've gotten stronger, but you have lost too much of your quickness to play the 2 and 3 for us. so i shed 15 pounds over the next month and actually got stronger while doing this (with the help of the trainer).

so i lost 15 pounds and actually got stronger and it really helped my quickness and explosiveness. the difference was noticeable. also, during my heavier times my legs constantly bothered me and i was always nursing some foot or quad injury. losing the weight helped me a ton.

im not saying the same will be true with lebron, but i honestly don't see how it could hurt him. so why not try it?