LeBron James loves horror movies, loves them so much he has a tattoo of his “Big Three” villains on his thigh. There’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street’s” Freddy Krueger. There’s “Halloween’s” Michael Myers. And there’s “Friday the 13th.” Jason Voorhees. If anyone appreciates a good scare, it’s the NBA’s leading scorer.

Still, it wasn’t a killer behind a mask or a scarred monster with a knife that made James shout Christmas Eve in San Francisco. The Lakers had just beaten the Golden State Warriors during a game where James was fantastic as he was reminded of the terrifying monster that awaited him in five days.

Hiding behind the door on Monday, December 30, James would be 40 years old. The thought of it, he screamed in jest.

“Five days,” he exclaimed, and perhaps a shiver ran down his spine.

In 1987, legendary LA Times columnist Jim Murray wrote about athletes staring down the bad guy who eventually gets them all: Father Time.

“A great heavyweight champion at 40 is pathetic to watch,” Murray wrote. “He sees the opening but can’t get the shot there in time. A great tennis champion can no longer reach the net. A great quarterback has to throw sidearm.”

Only the rarest forms of greatness can survive it. In 1987, Murray wrote about Nolan Ryan, who would go on to pitch another 1,000 innings over six more seasons. Tom Brady played six seasons after turning 40. And now James takes on the challenge of not just reaching the milestone, but making it through and living up to the high standards he’s set for himself over 22 seasons.

The end, James will admit, is coming. But it’s not here yet.

According to basketball-reference.coms data, only 23 players have been in the NBA for seasons when they were 40 or older on January 31st. James turns 24.

Most of the roster is filled with backup big men — Robert Parish, Dikembe Mutombo and Kevin Willis all played in the 40s. Forward Vince Carter proved to be a key role player for several seasons after 40.

As far as frontline contributors go, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and John Stockton could really thrive after 40. James is poised to surpass them all.

Players 37 or older have scored 35 points or more after their 37th birthday 76 times in NBA history. Kobe Bryant did it three times. Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone each did it eight times. And Michael Jordan did it 12 times.

LeBron James has done it 34 times.

NBA players over the age of 33 have accounted for 242 triple-doubles. James has nearly a quarter of them (58). Malone is the oldest player to ever record a triple-double at 40 years and 127 days old. James has had 11 triple-doubles since turning 39.

There are dozens of statistics like this.

Lakers star LeBron James throws powder over the scorer’s table before a game against the Suns.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

And this season, he’s averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds, the latter two stats above his career averages.

“I’ve been able to do this at a high level over the course of two decades,” James said earlier this month after setting the NBA record for all game minutes. “And to continue to put myself in the record books in this game of basketball that I love so much and in the best league in the world is pretty cool and it’s very humbling.”

For his new coach, JJ Redick, it’s especially surreal to be here at this stage of James’ career. The two first played against each other in high school. Redick retired after the 2021 season, emotionally drained and physically battered.

Now one of his most important players is six months younger than him.

“I think the biggest thing is just competitive endurance,” Redick said when asked earlier this season about James.

That has been his go-to phrase about the Lakers’ star.

“It’s reflected in his routine. To be able to get up every morning and do the same thing over and over again, that’s not easy,” Redick said. “I think anybody who’s been a high achiever, probably have moments where they feel like they can take a day off or take a rep or take a week off, whatever it may be. And I know that during the off-season he occasionally jumps on a $300 million yacht for a week in Ibiza or wherever he goes in the Mediterranean. But I think that’s what stands out. You don’t do it that long and have the routine you have without just a high level of competitive endurance.”

Before James logged playing minutes earlier this month, he was asked about the physical and mental toll of doing this for so long. Earlier this year, James missed two games by taking a week away from the team to heal his ailing left foot and reset mentally.

“I just think it’s a commitment to the craft and the passion and love I have for the game,” he said. “I don’t take much time off during recess. A little more time now. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the offseason, no matter if I played the 10 (NBA) Finals back-to-back and just always tried to keep my body in tip-top shape. And, as I said, I’ve been able to play a lot of minutes and for most of my career be injury free and be available.

“I wouldn’t say injury-free. We all have our injuries in this league and in this sport. But to be available for the majority for my teammates, for the franchises, the three franchises I play for, is something I took very seriously.”

Fittingly, his first game after turning 40 will be Tuesday against the team that hit him — the Cleveland Cavaliers — if he’s recovered from an undisclosed illness that caused him to miss Saturday’s win over Sacramento.

“It’s kind of mind-boggling just to be in this position, coach him, play against him for 15 years, take three years off and call his games, and then he’s still playing at this level,” Redick said. “It feels like he’s just been doing this forever.”

And after showing some signs of age early this season, James has taken a step forward as the Lakers have played better basketball over the past three weeks.

“I’m an energetic guy and I love the game and I love the way I’m still able to go out and still help my team and compete,” James said after his Christmas night scrimmage. “So I try to give as much energy as possible, especially when I have it. And I’ve certainly had it over the last couple of weeks.”