"My body's feeling it a little bit. But one good thing, my back is in good shape, and that's my main concern. I know that my legs are going to take awhile to get back to where I was a few years ago, but as long as my back is solid, I feel that I can play many years"
About this Quote
The subtext is veteran pragmatism. Legs can be rebuilt with conditioning, minutes management, and reps; a bad back is a structural veto. By separating “legs” from “back,” he’s reframing decline as a solvable engineering problem, not a romantic tragedy. He also signals a specific kind of confidence: not that he’ll be as explosive as “a few years ago,” but that his game can evolve. Lemieux always won with vision, touch, and anticipation as much as speed; he’s quietly reminding you that those skills age better than acceleration.
Culturally, this is the mature counter-narrative to the highlight-reel era of sports talk. Instead of promising dominance, he promises durability, and that’s more believable - and more intriguing. The line “I can play many years” lands because it’s conditional, almost contractual: if the foundation holds, the rest is manageable. It’s an athlete speaking like an owner of his own body, aware of the costs, still willing to invest.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sports |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lemieux, Mario. (2026, January 18). My body's feeling it a little bit. But one good thing, my back is in good shape, and that's my main concern. I know that my legs are going to take awhile to get back to where I was a few years ago, but as long as my back is solid, I feel that I can play many years. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-bodys-feeling-it-a-little-bit-but-one-good-10797/
Chicago Style
Lemieux, Mario. "My body's feeling it a little bit. But one good thing, my back is in good shape, and that's my main concern. I know that my legs are going to take awhile to get back to where I was a few years ago, but as long as my back is solid, I feel that I can play many years." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-bodys-feeling-it-a-little-bit-but-one-good-10797/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My body's feeling it a little bit. But one good thing, my back is in good shape, and that's my main concern. I know that my legs are going to take awhile to get back to where I was a few years ago, but as long as my back is solid, I feel that I can play many years." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-bodys-feeling-it-a-little-bit-but-one-good-10797/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.


