5 times NBA players and coaches applauded LeBron James for his high basketball IQ

#3 Doc Rivers says no one can match LeBron James' brain in the NBA

Doc Rivers has been highly appreciative of LeBron James' stellar achievements in the NBA.

Doc Rivers' teams have been at the receiving end of LeBron James' stellar performances in the past. But the Philadelphia 76ers head coach has always been very appreciative of what James has achieved in the league and believes he is indeed one of the best players in the business.

According to Sports Illustrated, Doc Rivers' once said:

"There's a lot of people in the league with LeBron's body; there's no one in the league with his brain."

James views the game as a head coach does. His ability to make the right plays and an encyclopedic knowledge of opposition players and coaches make him one of the most challenging opponents to outsmart on a basketball court.

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#2 Scott Brooks claims LeBron James can call out fake plays

Former Washington Wizards' head coach Scott Brooks watches on during an NBA game.

LeBron James is so well-versed with the way opposition teams play that he can even call out fake plays that teams may use to deceive him and his teammates. But when James constructs fake plays, teams playing against him always seem to fall for them.

Scott Brooks, former head coach of the Washington Wizards, made this fascinating claim after a 2019 game between the Wizards and the LA Lakers.

Scott Brooks talking about how smart LeBron is. He said sometimes he calls out fake plays to try to deceive other teams, and when he’s done it against LeBron’s teams, LeBron has responded, “You guys don’t have that play!”

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) November 30, 2019

This wasn't the first time an opposing head coach praised LeBron James for his ability to predict plays. Doc Rivers and Dwyane Casey also had similar stories, which they shared during an episode of NBA TV's Open Court a few years ago.

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#1 Iman Shumpert says LeBron James' IQ is his biggest superpower

LeBron James watches on during an NBA game.

Iman Shumpert played with LeBron James at the Cleveland Cavaliers for four straight seasons between 2014 and 2017.

Shumpert was one of the closest witnesses to James' intelligence on the court during his stint with the Cavs. He also narrated one of the most interesting stories about his IQ while playing the game, and claimed LeBron James' basketball IQ is almost "scary." He said:

"He (LeBron) can explain the game forward and back.... It's unbelievable. Talk about somebody who knows the playbook, know where everybody is supposed to be, know the other team's coaches' playbook, style of coaching, how his ball club is going to play."

"Bron's one of them where he'll be like we're going to Philly tonight, (he will say) they hired a new defensive coach, but he (the coach) was at Georgetown for three years, and I played for him one time at the camp and this is how they gonna play us."

Small details like these have played a vital role in LeBron James becoming the player he is today. Shumpert also mentioned some other interesting stories like James reading the stats on players and their shooting percentages from various spots, and also added how James communicates with his teammates during plays in games.

Here's a full clip of Iman Shumpert's comments on LeBron James' IQ: