There is no way around it, bring up LeBron James to an NBA fan and there are going to be strong opinions expressed. Which is also why he is considered the most polarizing NBA player of all-time.
James set the all-time NBA scoring mark nearly two weeks ago, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Now can fans still get awestruck by how he is performing at 38 years of age? Absolutely.
In 45 games so far this season he is averaging 30 points per game, 8.4 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal, while shooting 50.8 percent from the field, 31 percent from beyond the arc, and 76.2 percent from the free throw line. Even with his performance this season the Los Angeles Lakers are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs in the western conference.
Los Angeles is currently 27-32 and there are reports that James is dealing with a lingering foot issue that will affect him for the remainder of the season. Also, in the All-Star game Sunday night he injured his hand and was held out for the second half. It has been diagnosed as a contusion. If the Lakers finish the season under .500, it will become the third time in his five seasons with the franchise that the team will finish below .500.
James’ only saving grace since arriving in Los Angeles was the title won during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many NBA fans discount it and NBA legend Charles Barkley also feels the same way. He said, “but listen: I’m not counting the bubble. Let’s stop it.”
In my opinion there are several reasons why James is not the greatest of all-time. First it starts with the NBA in general. There are three positions that basically no longer exist in the league; point guard, power forward, and center.
Which illustrates why the current iteration of the NBA is the least physical it has ever been. So what about the likes of Joel Embiid? Nikola Jokic? Karl-Anthony Towns? Stephen Curry? Damian Lillard? Kyrie Irving? Ja Morant?
Embiid is having a career-year for the Philadelphia 76ers. Yet he is averaging the lowest amount of offensive rebounds in his career. Now why is that? 53 percent of his shot attempts come from beyond 10 feet from the basket.
Many NBA fans believe that Jokic is in-line to win his third straight Most Valuable Player Award. He is averaging a triple-double for the season. Unlike previous seasons, he has cut down on his three point attempts and 72 percent of his shot attempts come within 10 feet of the basket.
8.7 feet is the average shot attempt for Jokic this season which makes it the lowest distance for him since the 206-2017 season. So it is not surprising his field goal percentage is at a robust 63.2 percent.
For Anthony-Towns he has only played 21 games in 2022-2023. He is a power forward who attempts nearly six threes per game and his three point percentage is 32.5. Is it that surprising that at the time of injury he was averaging a career-low in total rebounds and offensive rebounds?
Also, the average distance of a shot being taken by Towns is 14 feet.
Now for Curry, Lillard, and Irving it is hard to consider them point guards. The NBA really does not have any true point guards left, except for Chris Paul. I call them guards because their mentality is to look to score first.
Curry is also known for the ability to move without the basketball to get open looks. Distributing the basketball is a distant second for him.
When I became the fan of the NBA I got to watch talented point guards that were looking to get teammates involved in the offense. I got to watch Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Tim Hardaway, Terrell Brandon, Jason Kidd, Mark Price, Kevin Johnson, Penny Hardaway, and Mookie Blaylock to name a few.
These were point guards who averaged 15-18 points per game and 8 plus asssists per and played solid defense and usually averaged over two steals per game.
At power forward got to see the likes of Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Kevin Willis, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Karl Malone to name a few.
Big men doing damage in the post on both ends of the court. Yet Embiid one of the top centers in the NBA at the moment has not averaged over two blocks per game in his career when he has played more than 35 games in a season. Towns has never done it and Jokic averages less than a block per game.
When it comes teams being able to score, the NBA has definitely made it easier for teams to score. Yet it has come at the sacrifice of three positions, physicality, and a lack of defense. For example in James’ rookie season only two teams averaged more than 100 points per game the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings and only two teams allowed more than 100 points per game, the Mavericks and Orlando Magic. By the time 2013-2014 came along 17 teams averaged over 100 points per game and 18 teams allowed over 100 points per game.
Currently, all 30 teams average well over 100 points per game and all 30 teams allow over 100 points per game.
During the 2003-2004 season the average amount of threes made was 5.2 per game and 14.9 attempts were taken per game, in 2013-2014 it jumped to 7.7 made threes on 21.5 attempts, and currently 12.3 threes are made on 34.1 attempts.
So the game has obviously evolved since James entered the league. Even scoring in transition has changed.
Threes are routinely taken instead of attacking the basket.
Still when it comes to James, his ability to shoot the basketball has never been his greatest attribute. He shoots the three ball at 34.4 percent for his career and at the free throw line he is only at 73.5 percent. His most proficient move offensively is putting his head down and using his strength to drive to the hoop.
When it comes to field goal percentage by distance for his career he shoots 36.8 percent, from 16 feet to the three-point line, shoots 38.7 percent from 10-16 feet, and his three point percentage has already been mentioned. He also does not shoot particularly well from 3-10 feet either with a career field goal percentage of 42.4 percent.
From within three feet of the basket, James’ field goal percentage is 74 percent.
Beyond his strength, James is a great facilitator and in his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he elevated the game of those around him. It is why the names Eric Snow, Daniel Gibson, and Zydrunas Ilgauskus are still etched in the memories of NBA fans. As LeBron got the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in his fourth season, only to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
After several more playoff disappointments, LeBron set up a press conference to announce his decision on where he was going to play. He ended up joining the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade, also power forward Chris Bosh was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors.
The big three of James, Bosh, and Wade helped the Heat win two championships.
After Miami lost to the Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals in 2013-2014. James elected to return to Cleveland and joined Irving and Kevin Love. His Cavaliers beat the 73 win Golden State Warriors. Still there is a bit of controversy with the championship as well.
Still LeBron will always get remembered for the chase down block of Andre Iguodala, which led to the clutch three made by Irving.
LeBron left the Cavaliers following another Finals loss to the Warriors and that is when he elected to sign with the Lakers.
When it comes to accolades, James has won the Rookie of the Year Award, won four Most Valuable Player Awards, and Four Finals Most Valuable Player Awards. He was a First-Team All-Rookie, a All-NBA First Team 13 times, All-NBA Second Team three times, All-NBA Third Team twice, All-Defensive First Team five times, and All-Defensive Second Team once.
LeBron has led the NBA in field goals made five times, two points made three times, minutes per game three times, total minutes three times, points per game once, total points once, assists per game once, total assists once and played in all 82 games once.
In terms of defense, LeBron only once averaged more than two steals per game and four times averaged a block per game. With those numbers and what he has done offensively is that enough to consider him the greatest of all-time? For some that is a yes, for me though it is a no.
I am impressed with the longevity of James, how he still has passion to play the game of basketball, and continues to put up impressive numbers. Still to me regardless of when he retires he has not done enough to overtake the likes of Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan to name a few.