LeBron James found himself on the wrong end of a chase-down block last Wednesday, giving the NBA world a chance to poke fun at the Philadelphia 76ers star for showing signs of aging in Year 24.

The play came during Philadelphia’s 114-109 road win over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, when two-way player Jalen Slawson swatted James’ fast-break layup attempt from behind.

The four-time MVP addressed the viral moment on Tuesday’s episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, explaining his thought process.

LeBron James Reflects on Getting Blocked by Jalen Slawson

The sequence began in the opening seconds of the second quarter with the score tied 25-25. James stripped Slawson and raced the other way, but the forward recovered from his turnover, ran the future Hall of Famer down, and erased his fast-break opportunity.

Officials initially called a foul, but the Pacers challenged, and the call was overturned after the replay review to credit Slawson with the highlight block, which promptly made the rounds on social media.

Slawson, the No. 54 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, began his career with the Sacramento Kings and has since split his time between the NBA and the G League. He has played just 32 NBA games to date, making him relatively unknown among casual fans and adding to the surprise of his emphatic chase-down block.

As for James, he said he saw the 27-year-old coming full steam ahead and made a business decision not to put himself in harm’s way with a dunk attempt.

“I got a steal, and in my rearview mirror, I seen him hauling [expletive] to get back on defense. The first thing in my mind was like, ‘If I try to take off and dunk this ball, this kid looks like he’s gonna [expletive] me up,'” James recounted.

“I’m like, ‘There’s no way I’m about to take off. I can’t afford — if I try to take off — the risk vs. the reward; I’mma lay this ball up,’ and he blocked it. He got back and blocked it.”

The 41-year-old agreed with the overturned call, labeling it a “clean block” before reiterating the potential cost if he had tried to be flashy.

“If I go up and try to dunk this ball and this kid [expletive] me up, I’m out two to four weeks,” James said.

“Those are the type of things that clicks into your head. 12 years ago, or I mean, for me, [expletive], it could have been even five years ago, four years ago, I would have probably taken off.”

After avoiding injury, James finished the night with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists without a turnover as Philadelphia outscored Indiana 39-21 in the fourth quarter to erase an 88-75 deficit.

While no longer scoring at the rate fans are accustomed to, James’ versatility and veteran savvy have played a vital role in helping the star-studded 76ers win four straight games and improve to first place in the Eastern Conference (7-1).