Even before he made it to the NBA, LeBron James was already drawing comparisons to former greats of the game.
Some said he was the second coming of Magic Johnson, given his rare combination of size, passing, and playmaking skills.
Others believed he was the next Michael Jordan, the “Chosen One” to dethrone him as the greatest player of all time, while some often compared him to Kobe Bryant because of the fact that they were the two best players in the world during their primes.
But, if you were to ask former Lakers trainer Gary Vitti, none of those comparisons are accurate. If anything, he’d be more similar to Oscar Robertson than any of those other players:
“He doesn’t remind me of either one I think he is an enigma,” Vitti said on Scoop B Radio, as quoted by Talk Basketball. “I find him to be more of a bigger version of Oscar Robertson. Plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
LeBron James is compared to MJ, Magic, Kobe!
Ex-Laker trainer Gary Vitti says: "He doesn't remind me of either one I think he is an enigma.
"I find him to be more of a bigger version of Oscar Robertson.
"Plays the game the way it's suppose to be played."
– Via Scoop B Radio pic.twitter.com/dubIZkqP8x
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 18, 2021
That comparison isn’t that far-fetched, to be honest. Robertson doesn’t get enough love and recognition nowadays but he was the ultimate stat-sheet stuffer back in the day.
Like LeBron, he was a sound rebounder and an outstanding playmaker who had a feel for driving through the lane and finishing inside.
At the end of the day, it seems like LeBron James is a unique player. He’s the new standard for point-forwards, but even those with similar skill sets lack his top-notch basketball IQ.
Whether you’re a LeBron fan or not is one thing, but you can’t deny that he’s one of the most complete and unique basketball players in the history of this beautiful game.
