In his 20th NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James continued to defy all limits of what an athlete as his age can accomplish. If there was one NFL star capable of doing the same this season, it would have been New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
A four-time MVP and former Super Bowl MVP, Rodgers was looking to set the world on fire at 39 years old in his first season in New York. Unfortunately, those hopes came crashing down just minutes into his debut game as the future Hall of Fame quarterback tore his Achilles on the fourth play from scrimmage.
It was truly a sad moment as Rodgers stood up before immediately realizing something was seriously wrong and sitting down on the field. He would be helped off and then eventually carted to the locker room for further testing, which later confirmed the season-ending tear. Many athletes wished Rodgers well in his recovery including LeBron as the Lakers star took to Instagram give some positive vibes, via Clutch Points:
"Damn man!! That hurt. 😔 Get well ASAP 8! 🙏🏾✊🏾👑"
LeBron James sends his best wishes to Aaron Rodgers on his IG story. pic.twitter.com/1QhdAbjYx6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 13, 2023
Lakers fans know all too well how devastating a torn Achilles to a star player can be and saw it first hand back in 2013 with Kobe Bryant. With every athlete that suffers this terrible injury, it becomes more unbelievable that Kobe somehow walked on the court and hit two free throws before walking off on his own power.
For Rodgers, this injury stings even more as this was set to be a new chapter in his career and this season is now over for him before it could even get started. LeBron, as an older athlete himself, surely gains inspiration from watching others in his age range dominate in their craft and Rodgers undoubtedly falls into that category.
It will be a long recovery process for Rodgers but also makes for a potentially excellent comeback story next year. And James will surely be following along closely and cheering his fellow athlete in his journey from this unfortunate setback.
Novak Djokovic shows appreciation for Lakers star LeBron James’ career longevity
Another athlete in that same vein as Aaron Rodgers and LeBron James is tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, who recently extended his record of Grand Slam tournaments won to 24 when he captured the US Open. While slightly younger at 36 years of age, Djokovic continues to compete and win against players far younger.
And while he was a close friend of Kobe Bryant’s and paid tribute to the Lakers legend after the victory, he also mentioned James as someone who inspires him. Djokovic spoke on those other athletes who take that same approach in their advanced age, noting LeBron and the recently retired Tom Brady as those who have shown what is possible as they get older.
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