With his 39th birthday coming up in December, LeBron James will be competing against players almost half his age as he tries to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their 18th NBA title.

When asked where he believes success begins, James answered, “obviously, in the mind.” This was on media day, so he was speaking to Spectrum SportsNet on Monday.

James appeared to have kept his bulk, as he was still able to put down a reverse jam or otherwise force his way to the basket. A four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time top scorer, he yet made it plain that physical prowess was not his starting point.

During the course of the discussion, he elaborated, saying, “You know, the mind controls everything.” “I believe that maintaining a healthy state of mind merely… helps my body to follow suit. Then I could keep going to the gym and getting ready for the next season. To put it simply, I had a fantastic summer.

The fact that he played all 16 games this season after missing 13 due to a foot ailment is the best news of the summer.

When asked about his foot, James responded, “Was able to get my foot back to where it was before the injury last year.” Was able to refocus on my game and other related matters and reset my internal compass. I’m in a good place mentally and physically heading into training camp.

Why did LeBron James come back this season?

After the Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets, James stated he had “a lot to think about.” He then revealed to ESPN that he was considering hanging it up.

But in July at the ESPY Awards, he declared his return. And on Monday, he had a realization that helped solidify his choice.

He credits being motivated by seeing his two boys, Bronny, 18, and Bryce, 16, play basketball. The roster for the Lakers was also improved because to the efforts of general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Darvin Ham.

LeBron James’s kid Bronny suffered a heart attack, but he is now doing “extremely well,” according to his father.

The work that Coach Ham and Rob performed with the additions that we acquired coming in encouraged me as well, James said. I think we’ve assembled an excellent squad. They did a fantastic job this summer of re-signing some of the people we already had here, which speaks volumes about the team spirit we have.

James is joined by Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura as the team’s returning starters. Shooters Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish, forward Taurean Prince, and center Christian Wood are among the new additions.

Can the Lakers really be that good?

The Lakers will have to go through the club that eliminated them from the NBA Finals last season if they want to return. The Lakers will start the season on the road against the Nuggets on October 24.

James stated, “Damn sure not pleased with the way things finished last year,” adding, “but extremely hopeful about where we can move on heading into the season.”