In 2009, when James turned 25, his birthday was the source of a Wall Street Journal story that pointed toward players reaching their peaks at the mid-20s range and going downhill from there. Four years later, the Miami Heat star is still improving, and Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, who coached James in Cleveland, doesn't believe that James is done.

“He is an extremely hard worker, one of the hardest I’ve been around,” Brown told the Miami Herald. “When you have a guy that’s that hungry to get better, then you are going to keep getting better. The crazy part about it is, I wouldn’t put it past him that he can still improve his game. He is older, and he is better.”

To be fair, James was probably a better athlete at 25 years old. He can still do amazing things most NBA players can only dream of, but his game is based more on power and precision than athleticism at this point.

James has produced MVP-worthy numbers for pretty much every year of his career, and his continued success has led him to reach historical levels.

With four MVP wins in the past five years, it's hard to imagine James being a better player. But Brown, a man with intimate knowledge of James' game, can see potential for improvement there. That's scary.


BUCKS OWNER


Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl says he's looking for new investment partners committed to keeping the team in the city.

Kohl says he's hired Steven Greenberg, of Allen & Co., in New York, to advise him on the search for new ownership partners. The former U.S. senator says he's owned the team for 29 years and adding to ownership will provide more stability for the future.

The Journal Sentinel reports Kohl says additional owners don't have to come from Milwaukee, but must be committed to keeping the franchise in Milwaukee. The 78-year-old Kohl says he doesn't have a number of potential investors in mind.

“Senator Kohl bought the Bucks in 1985 in order to ensure the team would remain in Milwaukee," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "During his extraordinary stewardship his goal remained the same — to bring the fans of Wisconsin high-quality basketball from a team they would be proud to call their ‘home’ team. 

"With this announcement, Senator Kohl continues his mission: to assure continuity of ownership by broadening its ownership base, and assuring that the fans of Wisconsin will enjoy NBA basketball and other events in a new state-of-the-art facility.”


GORTAT ROLE


Center Marcin Gortat briefly expressed displeasure with where he was positioned in the Washington Wizards offense, but has now taken to Twitter to point out that he is satisfied in his role.

He has been pushed farther away from the rim on occassion, but the majority of Gortat's shots come in the restricted era, as SBNation.com pointed out. His being away from the rim is most likely a product of screen-and-roll scenarios with John Wall.

There was one game against the LA Clippers on Dec. 14 in which Gortat struggled and found himself away from the paint. He finished that game 3-of-10 and missed six shots away from the restricted area.

"I just don't like the position I play. I'm constantly drifting more and more away from the basket. Quite honestly, that's not my game. I'm capable of making or two plays like that but I feel more comfortable underneath the basket," Gortat said, according to CSNWashington.com. "I just got to talk to coach and clear things up. Just make sure we're on the same page."

Gortat has actually played solid basketball since joining the Wizards, with averages of 13.1 points and 9.0 rebounds in 22 games, which might explain why he took to Twitter to clear up his comments.


D.C. CONNECTiON


Kevin Durant and Victor Oladipo, two Washington, D.C., area natives, played against one another in the NBA on Sunday.

But their relationship started before the the OKC Thunder and Orlando Magic faced off. Durant offered advice to Oladipo at a basketball this summer priot to the start of his rookie season, according to the Orlando Sentinel .

They also had a moment in the Goodman League in Washington, D.C., putting together a nice back-and-forth exchange in which the rookie gave Durant a little competition.

While they're competitors in the NBA, Oladipo appreciated Durant's gesture.

"For him to be able to talk to me and for him to give me advice was kind of crazy," Oladipo said. "But at the same time, it definitely was humbling and definitely nice for him to do — a credit to him for doing that. He didn't have to, but he did it anyway."

And Durant, one of the NBA's best players, said he was simply offering a helping hand.

"I think he's a tremendous player, a guy that brings so much to an organization," Durant said before tipoff. "He's a great kid off the floor. Just humble, hard-working. He loves the game of basketball. Of course, on the court, he plays so hard. He just plays to win. He plays team basketball and plays to win.

"I was just trying to help him out. I was just letting him know how this life is going to be and the struggles he's going to go through. I'll just keep trying to encourage him. I'm rooting for him. He's from my area, and I want everybody from my area to do well. So I'm excited for him."

Contributors: DeAntae Prince, The Associated Press