Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is an NBA legend to the highest degree, but it seems that not everyone agrees on his current standing in the NBA hierarchy. In a recent poll of anonymous players, James got 2.2% of the vote in the category of the league’s most overrated athletes.
LeBron, who also got 1.3% of the vote for MVP, is tied for 10th on the list of overrated players, with identical results to Jrue Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Tyler Herro, Dillon Brooks, and Kyle Kuzma (among others). Tyrese Haliburton was at the top of this list with 14.4% of the vote, with Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert not far behind.
“I don’t (understand) the Defensive Player of the Year stuff when you don’t guard the people who have the ball most of the time, the ones who are making most of the decisions,” a player who chose Gobert for most overrated said. “I just don’t see it, nor does he strike any fear in me in my heart as a defender.”
Rudy Gobert and Tyrese Haliburton are somewhat expected picks for the category, given the fact that they have yet to prove themselves in the playoffs. But as a 4x champion and 4x MVP, LeBron has nothing left to prove. As an icon among his peers, LeBron is usually at the top of these polls, but things have changed after 22 seasons in the NBA.
With averages of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game this season, LeBron is putting up fine numbers this season but his overall impact has not been the same. On defense, especially, LeBron has seen some decline, and it seems that some players don’t respect or fear him like they did in his prime.
With so much mileage on his body, it’s no secret that LeBron is inching close to retirement, and his impact on the court isn’t as noticeable as it once was. While some might say the fans are overselling his current play, the Lakers value his presence the same way they did during their 2020 title run.
Lakers Voted As The Sixth Best Organization
While the stock on LeBron James may be going down, the Lakers’ appeal is also seemingly in decline. In the past, the Lakers have typically been cited as the most attractive team in the NBA, mostly for their history of success and their prime location in Los Angeles, California.
Still, it seems that other teams are starting to surpass the Lakers regarding their ability to lure stars. In the latest player poll, the Lakers ranked as the sixth-best team in the league (5.1%), behind the Warriors, Thunder, Celtics, Clippers, and Heat.
For as popular as the Lakers are among the fans and media, players don’t yet fully trust the organization to make moves in their best interest. After trading their longtime star Anthony Davis at the deadline, some considered it the ultimate act of betrayal and an act of disrespect to give him up without warning.
Still, despite the chaos and internal turmoil, the Lakers are once again in a position to win the West, thanks to people like LeBron James and Rob Pelinka, who have been working together to build the right kind of culture for the organization.
No matter how much his game declines, LeBron will always be useful for his team, and he’ll need to be at full strength for them to have any chance of a Finals run this summer.
