LeBron James is going to turn 39 years of age on December 30, 2023 — let that sink in for a moment. It's hard to internalize that James is nearing the end of his illustrious career, but for some, like Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, they know better than to take the Los Angeles Lakers star for granted.

Prior to the Blazers' NBA In-Season Tournament battle against the Lakers on Friday night, Billups dropped some lofty praise for The King, expressing how “lucky” everyone is to be witnessing the greatness of arguably the best player to ever grace the hardwood.

“It’s just incredible what he’s been able to continue to do. One day when we get old, we’re going to tell our grandkids we watched that movie. We’re pretty lucky,” Billups said, per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.

LeBron James may be multiple steps slower than he was during his prime, and he may not be able to jump as high as he once did, but the Lakers star still remains as impactful as ever. Despite the Lakers' loss to the Sacramento Kings back on Wednesday night, James was phenomenal, becoming the second-oldest player in NBA history to tally a triple-double. And he has shown no signs of slowing down; at the time of writing, James is currently his team's leading scorer against the Blazers, with 28 points through three quarters.

For Chauncey Billups, it must be so surreal to witness James continue to play at this high of a level, especially when the last time Mr. Big Shot stepped foot on an NBA court as a player came on February 7, 2014. The last quality season of Billups' career came during the 2010-11 season, with the last three seasons of his career being as injury-plagued as it gets, so he must be marveling at how the Lakers star has remained healthy all this time.

Moreover, Billups was on the court when LeBron James dropped one of the best playoff performances of his career back in 2007, when James put the Cavs on his back, scoring 25 straight points in the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. For him to remain great 16 years later is nothing short of an exceptional feat that commands that respect, which the Blazers head coach gave without any hesitation.