LeBron James on what advice he’d give his 18-year-old self

LeBron James has had one of the more successful careers in NBA history over the past decades. He is now 41 years of age and moving through his record 23rd season in the league, and he hasn’t shown any real signs of slowing down any time soon.

When he came into the league in 2003, there were naturally some doubters who wondered if the hype surrounding him was real and whether he would actually become a major superstar. Jumping straight from high school to the pros, as James did that year, is a humongous transition, especially when one was under the media microscope during high school as James was.

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Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 128-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, James was asked what advice he would give his 18-year-old self.

“It’s a lot. A lot of advice that I would give him. I would just say keep the main thing the main thing. Work hard, there’s no substitute for hard work. I think hard work and dedication, if you want to be great, gonna pay off. Keep the blinders on. As much as they praise you, it’s even triple, quadruple people trying to bring you down, and wanna tear you down every single day. Protect your family, protect your mental space. It’s a lot more, but just go out and have fun and enjoy the ride, because you never know when it comes to an end. It goes fast.”

As a rookie, James averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists a game while shooting 41.7% from the field. The following season, he raised those numbers to 27.2 points on 47.2% shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists a game and earned his first of 21 consecutive All-Star and All-NBA selections.

He has become polarizing in recent years, and while the criticism he has received may have bothered him earlier in his career, he has matured to the point where he can likely laugh it off and remain focused.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James on what advice he’d give his 18-year-old self