San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams says he has spoken with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James about prolonging his career as a professional athlete.
"When you see and talk to a guy like that who is going and doing it at the highest level we've ever seen and doesn't show any signs of slowing down," Williams said, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "I know that it can be done."
Williams added: "My mind frame right now is I want to finish this career as strong as I opened it up."
Williams, who turned 36 in July, has previously said that he wants to play until age 40. James is on track to do just that as he celebrates his 40th birthday in December amid his 22nd season in the NBA.
The two athletes, who had met before, reunited shortly after the 49ers lost 25-22 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, Wagoner reported.
Williams and James then "discussed how to get over losing a championship and what it takes to sustain greatness as you age," Wagoner wrote.
According to Wagoner, Williams has since taken advice from James on "diet, training and recovery regimens."
Both Williams and James have been successful at remaining top athletes in their respective sports so far in the 2024-25 NBA season and 2024 NFL campaign.
James is averaging 23.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists through 14 games for the Lakers. His 41.6 percent three-point shooting would mark a career-high accuracy rate if sustained for a full season.
Williams has meanwhile remained one of the most effective tackles in the league. According to the pass block win rate metric calculated by ESPN Analytics, which tracks how often linemen can hold a block for at least 2.5 seconds, Williams trails only the Cincinnati Bengals' Orlando Brown Jr. for the NFL lead with a 95 percent success rate through Week 11.
After reworking his contract with the 49ers ahead of the 2024 season, Williams is signed on through 2026 with a potential out after the 2025 campaign, per Spotrac. He will need to add at least two more seasons to that deal in order to stick around in San Francisco through age 40.