The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t keep the good times rolling on Friday night after earning a thrilling win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. Without LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers suffered a blowout 126-105 loss to their longtime rival, the Boston Celtics, dropping their record to 16-6 on the season.
It was always going to be tough for L.A. to win this game without James, even though he has struggled to score as of late. James has continued to make an impact for the Lakers on both sides of the ball early in this season, and if you ask NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning, his longevity is beginning to mirror what NFL legend Tom Brady accomplished during his historic playing career.
Alonzo Mourning Compares LeBron James to Tom Brady
Mourning enjoyed a 15-year career in the NBA, which he primarily spent with the Miami Heat. While he did not cross paths with James in Miami, he has kept close tabs on his career, largely because of all that he has accomplished. With James set to turn 41 years old later this month, he’s in uncharted territory when it comes to the length of his playing career.
There’s nobody who has played for as long as James has in the NBA. In order to find a proper comparison, you need to look at other sports leagues. The obvious example is Brady, who played for 23 years in the NFL, primarily with the New England Patriots. A seven-time Super Bowl champion, Brady is widely considered the greatest player in the history of the league.
James still finds himself at the center of the GOAT debate in the NBA alongside Michael Jordan, but his longevity may give him a leg up on the Chicago Bulls legend. Mourning isn’t interested in making a definitive pick in that conversation, but he believes that James’ longevity has put him in a unique category alongside Brady that even Jordan isn’t a part of.
“Nobody’s done it the way he’s done it, ever,” Mourning said of James, per DJ Siddiqi of VideoGamer. “Scoring leader in our history, and for him to play the most games, the most years, kinda speaks to his longevity. It speaks to how well he takes care of his body, how well he’s invested into his body.
I think this is all entertaining to us to see somebody at his age do it the way he’s doing it, because it’s very rare. You think about the great ones — you think about Tom Brady, you think about Tiger — that really did it at ages where people wouldn’t expect them to excel, and LeBron is put in that category for sure.”
LeBron James Looking to Go on One Last Championship Run with Lakers
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers goes to the basket against the Toronto Raptors.
The 2025-26 campaign hasn’t necessarily gotten off to a great start for James, as he’s suited up for just six games, and when he’s been on the court, he hasn’t looked like himself. James is averaging just 14 points per game while shooting 41.3% from the field, and his historic streak of scoring at least 10 points came to an end on Thursday in the team’s win over Toronto.
L.A. has managed to continue winning games, thanks in large part to the play of Doncic and Austin Reaves, the latter of whom has taken a massive step forward so far this year. If James can settle into his new role alongside this duo, Los Angeles could suddenly become a very dangerous team this year. The Lakers will look to get back in the win column on Sunday night when they square off against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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