The Greatness of LeBron
On the evening of May 25th, 2017 with 2:40 left in the third quarter, LeBron James hit a 3-pointer that propelled him past Michael Jordan as the all-time leading scorer in the playoffs. Since day one, LeBron has been crowned the heir to Jordan. His game has always drawn constant criticism and critique as we nitpick everything about his game, press conferences, and even his social media posts. Despite LeBron’s breathtaking passes, earth-shattering blocks, or consistent scoring, all he has heard his entire career is, “still not as good as MJ” or “MJ never lost in the finals” or “MJ didn’t need to team up with other stars”. This is not to try and make an argument for Jordan or LeBron, but just an argument that we are witnessing one of the greatest athletes ever so can we just appreciate him while he is still here?
Like so many, LeBron revered Jordan. After the Game 5 win against Boston where James broke the postseason scoring record he had this to say, “ I wear the number because of Mike. I think I fell in love with the game because of Mike, just because of what he was able to accomplish. When you’re watching Michael Jordan it’s almost like a god. So I didn’t think I could be Mike.” This was easily the most candid LeBron has been when talking about the comparisons and expectations. It was refreshing and a side we rarely ever get to see. While scoring is often the go-to stat, it isn’t the only list that LeBron has passed Jordan on. In the postseason LeBron is currently first in points, seventh in rebounds, third in assists, and second (soon to be first) in steals.
In all of these categories LeBron is ahead of Jordan. LeBron enforces his will on every aspect of the game which is why we have seen him deep in the playoffs practically every year.
For the last 12 years we have seen LeBron make a run in the playoffs where he has never lost a first round series. On top of this LeBron will be making his seventh straight finals appearance which hasn’t been done since Bill Russell’s Celtics. Over the past 12 years LeBron has played an additional 212 games and 8,915 minutes so if he wants to take a few games off in the regular season, I’m ok with it.
Regardless the athlete, the thing everyone goes back to is how many rings do they have? In the finals, Lebron is 3–4. Obviously this isn’t the ideal record but his teams have only been the favorites in those seven finals twice. In 2007 LeBron led a Cavs team that vastly over-performed and had no business being there. For reference, the second leading scorer on that team was Larry Hughes. While this Cavs team had the fourth best defensive rating of 101.3 they also had the 18th offensive rating of 105.5 against the 30th ranked strength of schedule. The fact he carried that team to the finals with performances like below is amazing.
Last year LeBron overcame the 73 win Warriors team after being down 3–1. While taking down the best regular season team of all-time he averaged an amazing 29.7 points, 8.9 assists, 11.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks to earn his third championship.
LeBron has also been a force in the regular season. Over his 14 years he has averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7 assists. These averages have led him to seventh in all-time scoring and 12th in assists. While these numbers are clearly impressive, they don’t tell the whole story, his advanced stats are off the charts. He has the second highest efficiency of 27.61 (Jordan is 27.91), the highest plus minus of all time at 9.15, and the seventh highest win shares of 205.4. While posting these absurd numbers, he has earned 4 MVPs, 13 All-Star selections, 13 All-NBA selections, 6 All-Defense selections, and the Rookie of the Year.
These feats are things that people dream about achieving and many assume are impossible to reach. After doing this for 14 years you would guess that he is starting to slow down as he ages. Somehow, that assumption is wrong.
As you can see his per game stats have been not just consistent but at a high level. Besides minor dips here and there we haven’t seen any drastic drops from LeBron which raises the question of how long he is going to keep up this level of play? Without ever really being injured and no obvious signs of decay, we could see this continue for a few more years.
While his box score stats are impressive, his advanced stats are even more impressive as he has consistently kept a high efficiency rate while always being the main option for his team.
Every year his shooting has improved as evidence by his true shooting percentage.
While his Defensive Rating has always been high, he has found a way to keep improving his Offensive Rating as well.
The offensive numbers are the easiest to grasp as they are the easiest to quantify and illustrate how they impact the game, but LeBron’s defensive numbers are extremely impressive too. His career defensive rating is 102.73 (Jordan was 102.83). He has been able to do this by not just what he can do defending the ball handler but more so what he does with his off-ball defense. Per NBA Hustle Stats, LeBron was 31st in the league this year in distance covered on defense, well behind other star wings like Jimmy Butler (5th), Klay Thompson (7th), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (9th). He is often guarding wings which naturally leads him to cover more ground than others but he is able to conserve his energy by taking better routes, making the appropriate switches, and reading the passing lanes. His off-ball awareness put him at 10th in the league with 3.6 deflections and tied for eighth in the league with loose balls recovered.
LeBron’s defensive awareness and IQ is highlighted by his flashy off-ball plays like chase down blocks and intercepting passes, but his on ball defense has to be mentioned too. His size and strength make it extremely difficult for opponents to score on him. This last year opponents shot just 55.7% in the paint, 41.3% in the mid-range, and 35.45% from three. These numbers are right in line with those of other elite defenders like Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, and Draymond Green. LeBron gets criticized for not trying that hard on defense but it is clear that he is still one of the hardest to score on in the league.
What LeBron has been able to do year after year after year in the NBA is truly amazing. Every year he is a legitimate MVP candidate. Every year he is a favorite to make it to the NBA Finals. Every year people question if this is finally when we start to see the slide.
Over the past 14 years LeBron has proven time and again that he is the best player in the world. Is he better than Jordan? I don’t think so, yet. Does he deserve to be in a legitimate conversation and put on the same level as Jordan? Absolutely (especially if he takes down an all-time great team in the Warriors, again). Going into this years finals, try not to watch LeBron and compare him to Jordan or question what each play means for his legacy. Instead, just watch and enjoy the brilliance that he displays. Watch for his precision passing. Watch for his improved jumper. Watch for his incredible footwork as he sets up a defender. Watch for his savvy off-ball defense. Watch for his powerful finishes at the rim. This version of LeBron isn’t going to be around forever, so watch and enjoy his greatness before you miss it.
