LeBron James has averaged 38 minutes per game in his career, but he only played 29 in Tuesday night’s opener against the Denver Nuggets.

It’s not surprising that a 38-year-old player is starting to play less than he used to. However, given that James is the most ageless superstar the sport has ever seen, his short minutes were a source of discussion following the game.

It didn’t take long for LeBron to be asked about the incident during his postgame media availability.

“I always want to be on the floor, especially when you got an opportunity to win a game,” he told reporters.

“I guess there’s a system in place and I’m going to follow it.”

James then clarified that he wasn’t surprised or upset by his playing time.

When asked if LeBron playing about 29 minutes per game could be the new normal this season, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said, “In all likelihood, yes.”