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Thanks to his recent record-breaking performances, the very mention of LeBron James is enough to kickstart the most heated debate in NBA history - who is the greatest basketball player of all time? Is it Michael Jordan or LeBron James?
While the determining factor for all Jordan fans revolves around the fact that His Airness has won more championships than James, it would be a shame to use this narrative against the Lakers star.
A once-in-a-lifetime player who can contribute significantly to the success of a team will never be underappreciated, scrutinized or questioned just as much as LeBron James has over the course of his decorated career.
Having entered the league in 2003, at just 18-years-old, James is no stranger to the spotlight. He was expected to be great, although many refuted and doubted the claim that he could really be quite that good.
Instead, James has responded in kind, and over the course of his illustrious 19-year career, has broken many records comfortably and continues to do so, to this day.
The story of LeBron James' basketball resembles a fairytale. A teenager who was given the largest sneaker contract of $90 million, and was expected to win numerous championships. Not only has James surpassed all expectations, he has, if anything, overachieved.
His accolades include four MVP awards, four NBA Championships, four FMVPs, 18 NBA All-Star appearances, three NBA All-Star Game MVPs, 13 All NBA First Team selections, three All NBA Second Team selections and five NBA All Defensive First Team selections.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers are in turmoil
The 2021-2022 Los Angeles Lakers are arguably the most poorly constructed team James has played on in his career, and it is true that he has played a large part in it himself. Yet, the Ohio native has only continued climbing up the ranks and shattering records in his 19th year, which speaks volumes about the four-time NBA champion's durability and longevity.
A deeper dive into the franchise's performances this season will show a contrast in parallels between the performances provided by LeBron James and the Lakers as a team.
By constructing a roster built solely around offense and neglecting the defense required to succeed in the modern game, it has led to the Lakers’ downfall. The decision to let go of their defensive-minded guards in Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, in exchange for Russell Westbrook, was an awful choice and contributed directly to their fall from grace.
Despite this, LeBron James’ career stats at 37 in year 19 are stupendous. Not only is he playing like he is in his prime at 26, he has improved in every facet of the game.
The Lakers currently sit with a 31-42 record and are the 9th seed in the West, but it doesn't show how influential James has been to this Lakers team. His stats for the year in his 19th season is intriguing to say the least.
Before sitting out against the Sixers on March 23, James was averaging exactly 30 points per game (PPG), which was the highest in the NBA. This puts him ahead of the likes of 'MVP' candidate Nikola Jokic, Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kevin Durant, Hawks point guard Trae Young, Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic, and Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan.
James is also averaging 8.1 rebounds per game (RPG), along with 6.2 assists per game (APG) to go with it. He's also scoring the basketball at an effecient 52.1% from the field. Absolute Pandemonium
A breakdown of his shooting splits indicates James is scoring at 69.2% (340 Field Goals Made (FGM)/ 491 Field Goals Attempted (FGA)) from 'Less than 8 feet', 40.2%(37 FGM/ 92 FGA) from 8-16 feet, 43.9%(43 FGM/ 98 FGA) from 16-24 feet, 35.7%(145 FGM/ 406 FGA) from 24+ feet, i.e, beyond the arc.
In addition, LeBron James has amassed a total of 41 25+ points games, 30 30+ points games for the season, including two 50-point performances. James is also the first-ever player with 30,000+ points, 10,000+ assists, and 10,000+ rebounds.
The Lakers forward has now taken over Karl Malone for second spot in the all-time scoring leaders rankings. In comparison, the next highest scorer for a player in his 19th season is Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who averaged 14.7 Points Per Game (PPG), followed by Carmelo Anthony, who sits at third with 13.7 PPG. The gulf in longevity, skill and class is vast.
James is currently outdoing his best work over the course of his career. He is currently having his best scoring season since 2009-10 with 29.7 PPG.
He is also having an influence on the defensive aspect of the game, averaging 1.4 Steals Per Game (SPG), his highest since his Cavaliers days in the 2015-2016 season, and 1.1 Blocks Per Game (BPG), his best since the 2008-09 season.
The Lakers star averaging his highest FGA since the 2007-2008 season at 21.4 per game. He is also averaging career highs in three-pointers made (3PM) and three-pointers attempted (3PA) at 2.8 per game and 7.9 per game respectfully. James' work ethic, desire to evolve and enhance his skills that revolve around the changing requirements of the game, allows him to be the greatest in his position.
The 'Kings' ability to play all five positions in a team enables him to provide more value and be more impactful in helping the Los Angeles Lakers attain as many wins as possible in an injury-riddled season.
Be it the three-point shot, mid-range, post-game on the offense, or the continuous pressure, chase down blocks, steals, on the defense, James hasn’t slowed down, and still looks like he has a chip on the shoulder.
With James on the team, any franchise will always have a legitimate chance at winning a championship. The front office and ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers needs to recognize that LeBron James remains the Lakers' best chance of winning a Championship, even with Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook on the team.
It is now of paramount importance that the franchise builds and structures a team that is competent and skilled enough to win championships while nearing the Kings' latter years of his career.
Guess the Lakers players!
