LeBron James Gives Scouting Report on 2014, 2026 Versions of Himself Amid Historic 24th NBA Season

LeBron James conducted a scouting report on himself throughout different stages of his 24-season NBA career on Tuesday's episode of his Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash.

James discussed how he would view himself as a 30-year-old in the 2014-15 season, just after he returned for his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, around the 20:50 mark of the podcast.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer he felt his four-year tenure with the Miami Heat had served as a learning experience between his stretches in Cleveland.

"I played pretty well. Didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but that guy was one who went off to college, learned a lot on everything that he wanted, everything that he knew he wanted, he was able to go and find it and then bring that mentality and that knowledge back home," James said.

James went to the NBA Finals that spring for the fifth straight year before the Cavs lost in six games to the Golden State Warriors.

"I guess the only thing that I would say to him is that, you don't really understand or know how many more cracks at it, at this level, how many more cracks you got at being in the Finals... I was just living in the moment," James said about his message to his past self.

James said he has now "adapted" while stretching his career into his age-42 season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Now it's just more like picking my spots," James said. "I'm able to do pretty much everything I was doing 12 years ago, but it's more in spurts, and picking my spots."

James added he has also had to adjust over the past few years to playing alongside stars like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Luka Dončić as opposed to leading his team in place of an injured Kyrie Irving.

"My responsibility, my usage is a lot lower than it was 12 years ago, and rightfully so," James said. "That's just a borderless growth mindset. Still being able to do all the things, but I don't have to force the action or feel like I have to carry the load of the action. I can be more of a table setter."

James has averaged 16.2 points on 45.1 percent shooting from the field while adding seven rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 33 minutes per game through six contests while Maxey has led his team and ranked third in the NBA in scoring.

That combination has allowed the 76ers to surge to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 7-1 start to the season. The Sixers will look to continue improving as James, Embiid and Jaylen Brown keep settling into their new roles down the stretch, starting with a Wednesday night matchup at the Detroit Pistons.