Is LeBron James being reckless with approach to load management?

Amid a hot start, one has to wonder if LeBron James’ philosophy on load management is the right one to take at this stage of his career.

Before dropping 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in a 101-96 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, LeBron James was listed as questionable after hurting his elbow Friday night down in South Beach.

Nobody would’ve blamed James for taking a DNP under the circumstances. Atlanta doesn’t put up much of a fight as the second-to-last team in the Eastern Conference while the Los Angeles Lakers have the highest winning percentage in the NBA.

He could’ve let Anthony Davis handle this matchup and taken his first game off after an amazing start to the 2019-20 season. Instead, LeBron put forth another spectacular performance to keep the Lakers humming on their east-coast trip.

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Following LA’s 14th straight road victory, James was asked about the idea of load management after his availability was put up in the air and, per the Los Angeles Times, he responded pretty bluntly:

"“I don’t know how many games I got left in my career.“I don’t know how many kids that may show up to a game that are there to come see me play, and if I sit out, then what? …“If I’m healthy, then I’m gonna play.”"

It bears repeating that in this, his 17th season, LeBron will be 35 by the end of the month. He ranks 12th all-time in regular-season minutes and has already claimed the top spot in the postseason, combining for over 57,000 total minutes.

James was ahead of his time when it came to understanding the resemblance the regular season had to a marathon instead of a sprint. It’s why he always sprinkled in several rest days amid eight consecutive Finals appearances while at times making defense an optional activity.

His previous actions are what make this defiant statement all the more peculiar. LeBron is playing a career-low 34.7 minutes a night, but the early insistence on playing as many games as possible contradicts — if only slightly — what should be his main focus.

Remember, this is the same guy chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan for a franchise with the highest of expectations. No statistical threshold, MVP trophy or sparkling regular-season record can satisfy those goals. Being the last team standing is the ultimate game-changer for an already stellar legacy.

As adamant as James may have been on Sunday, saying one thing in December, however, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll ring true come February, March and April.

Should the Lakers build up a comfortable lead in the standings, it’s hard to imagine LeBron gutting it out for that magical No. 82 when a gauntlet of unfamiliar Western Conference playoff foes await.

In reality, who is anyone to question the methods of a man in the midst of defying conventional wisdom to remain near the top of his game as long as James has?

Having missed out on the playoffs last year for the first time since his sophomore campaign, LeBron certainly has a bit more energy to spare these days, and playing alongside a new cast of teammates is the fastest way to build the chemistry that’s contributed to LA’s 24-3 start.

Only James knows how much rest his body truly needs. If he feels a DNP is necessary at any point in time, there won’t be a single objection within the Laker’s organization. He’s earned that level of accommodation.

Until that point, it’s hard to argue with the man who, at a time when most careers are long gone, is still playing at an all-time level with the potential and desire for a title still very much alive.