LeBron James

This is the "heavy" version of LeBron James from the past season. Hardly out of shape, James reportedly has cut carbs from his diet and dropped several pounds for the upcoming Cleveland Cavaliers season.

(Eric Gay, Associated Press file photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Has anyone ever looked at LeBron James and said "That guy is looking heavy. He needs to drop some pounds"?

Perhaps it should be qualified with "Has anyone in his right mind ever asked ..."

And yet, look at this photo posted on James' Instagram account:

James is listed at 6-8, 250 pounds on the Cavaliers' roster (although many believe he was closer to 265). Throughout his career he's been a mass of coiled steel, a unique physical specimen with unparalleled speed and agility.

But, as Sports Illustrated points out, he is getting older ... he'll turn 30 in December. SI says there were some "whispers" last season on whether James had slowed a bit.

Perhaps James took that to heart. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweeted Monday that James has cut carbs from his diet and has dropped "significant" weight. In the photo he does appear much trimmer.

SI says stars such as Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Steve Nash also adjusted their diets in the past in order to prolong their careers.

That has to be the hope for James. Carrying fewer pounds could result in more speed and quickness and less stress on his knees. Some might wonder if it will result in the loss of some strength, however.

It appears Cavs fans shouldn't worry about James showing up to training camp out of shape.