At 36-years-old, nobody was expecting LeBron James to be playing like this.
In his 18th season, he’s putting up an impressive 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on 48.3% shooting. The Lakers are also soaring so far, holding a 10-3 record through the first 13 games.
And while some doubt still remains about what Bron will be able to do for the rest of the season, “The Ringer” host Bill Simmons recently made the case on his podcast why “King James” could be on his way to a fifth MVP.
“The reason I was thinking LeBron could actually win this — first of all, he’s not on cruise control this year. LeBron’s not saving himself for anything. He’s playing hard in these games.
The Lakers are the best team, every other candidate is on a team that I don’t think is a top 3 team except for Kawhi and he’s been better than Kawhi.
And then there’s the narrative potential. He hasn’t won since 2013, and it’s a shorter season, and he’s thinking legacy completely at this point. Fifth title, one away from MJ, ties Kobe. Fifth MVP puts him on a whole other stratosphere.and I could see him going for it.”
MVP no. 5 in Year 18 for LeBron? @BillSimmons and @ryenarussillo discuss the possibility. #BSPodcast pic.twitter.com/3woqrRk6oO
— RingerNBA (@ringernba) January 14, 2021
James’ path to the GOAT title is no secret at this point. While LeBron himself already thinks of himself as the greatest, he has more to do if he wants to convince others.
A fifth MVP trophy, and a title, would go a long way in making that case.
At this point, with the way things are looking, it’s certainly a possibility we can’t ignore.
