LeBron James May Not Play Much During Preseason Opener

Miami Heat star LeBron James may be the reigning MVP champion in the NBA but that doesn’t mean he is going to play like one when the preseason gets underway.

LeBron announced on Sunday that he would likely take it easy when the Heat begin the preseason on October 7 against the Atlanta Hawks.

James is concerned that over exerting himself could wear down his body before the start of the regular season. James has been playing basketball non-stop for 10 months and following the Hawks game the Miami Heat will head to China for two exhibition games against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Speaking of the Hawks game James told reporters:

“I don’t even know if I’ll play much at all in that game.”

The Heat are constantly monitoring LeBron James’ workout times and strength to ensure that he remains in peak physical condition for the 2012-2013 NBA season.

When asked how it felt to be ahead of the physical curve at the moment James said:

“It does feel different. I’m in better shape right now than I’ve been, because I’ve played so much basketball. Usually, it takes me a week, a week-and-a-half of camp to kind of get back into it. But at the same time, I’ve still got to be cautious. I’ve played a lot of basketball and I’ve got to be cautious and not allow myself to be out there too much. We’ll monitor that.”

LeBron is joined in his limited play regime by fellow Miami Heat Star Dwyane Wade who is recovering from knee surgery in July.

The biggest challenge for LeBron? Trying not to jump into the teams competitive scrimmage drills.