• Richard Sherman thinks LeBron James is scrutinized heavily in the modern era
• He said he would be appreciated like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain if he played in the ’60s and ’70s
• Many would argue James has surpassed both those players in the modern era
LeBron James has had multiple Hall of Fame careers within the 20 years he’s spent in the NBA. His accomplishments are mind-boggling but aren’t always appreciated to their full extent because of comparisons with former stars. Richard Sherman openly said that if LeBron played in the ’60s and ’70s, he would be directly comparable with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain.
“If he played in the ’60s and the ’70s, you would be talking about him like Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and Wilt [Chamberlain] because the accolades would be there. It’s so many things we scrutinize, we scrutinize LeBron in practice… At this point, you have to look at the full body of work and give the man the credit he deserves.”
"If [LeBron James] played in the 60s and the 70s, you would be talking about him like Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and Wilt [Chamberlain] because the accolades would be there… At this point, you have to look at the full body of work."
—Richard Shermanhttps://t.co/6w0iQ0wX20
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 5, 2023
Many already place LeBron ahead of Wilt and Kareem in modern GOAT lists. While Kareem has more titles and MVPs than LeBron, LeBron has rewritten what longevity in the NBA means, something many thought Kareem would define for generations with the all-time scoring record.
Though there are questions about the legitimacy of Wilt Chamberlain’s stats, LeBron is really the only statistical marvel that has come close to all-around domination on the court that many claimed Wilt could do.
How Do LeBron James’ Stats Stack Up Against Wilt And Kareem?
LeBron James’ career is still going, but so far, he has averaged 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 20 seasons. In those 20 seasons, James has been named an All-Star and All-NBA selection 19 times.
He has won four MVPs, four titles, and four Finals MVPs. He’s the only player to win Finals MVP for three different franchises (Heat, Cavs, and Lakers) and is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
Kareem is the former all-time scoring leader in history, who averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks over 20 seasons. Kareem is tied with LeBron for most All-Star selections in history with 19, but his All-NBA tally has 15 selections.
Kareem won six MVPs, five championships, and two Finals MVPs. He was one of the first players in NBA history to win Finals MVP for two franchises (Bucks, then Lakers), but not the first.
Wilt Chamberlain was the first to that honor. He won only two titles in his career, but both came as the primary option on different teams (Warriors, then Lakers). Kareem had broken Wilt’s all-time scoring record to become the holder in 1984, as Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists over the course of his 14-year career.
Wilt made 13 All-Star teams and 10 All-NBA teams. Statistical measurement improved drastically after that era, so Wilt’s stats aren’t as elaborate as the ones we have for players since. What we know for certain is that no player has scored 100 points in a game again.
Is LeBron James Better Than Both Legends?
It’s fair to rank both LeBron and Kareem ahead of Chamberlain given the antiquated nature of his accomplishments. With limited footage and statistics for Wilt, we can rely on the solidity of the achievements earned by LeBron and Kareem. Comparing the two Lakers legends is extremely challenging.
Though Kareem outranks LeBron in total championships and MVPs, it’s hard to ignore LeBron’s overall impact on his team’s being far greater. Up until this point, LeBron hasn’t needed a player like Magic Johnson to extend his championship-winning prime. He’s won every title as the primary option on his team, even if he had stacked rosters.
Both players had some of the greatest teammates of all time, but James’ contemporary success as a game-changing forward who could guard one through five and play any position on the court has to be recognized.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
