While there are a lot of arguments on who is greater between LeBron James and Michael Jordan, there can now be little debate that James is the best player of his generation, at the very least. LeBron has been a force in the league for almost two decades at this point as he continues to dominate even after spending 19 seasons in the NBA.
Stephen Jackson on the “All the Smoke” podcast hailed LeBron’s longevity and claimed that the King has been the best player in the NBA since his third season in the league in 2005-06.
That is a bold claim, as the likes of Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan were still very much in their prime, but it speaks to LeBron’s greatness that it cannot be dismissed as being outlandish. That season, LeBron averaged a career-high 31.4 points to go with 7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, to finish second in the MVP voting behind Steve Nash. He was just 21 years old when he did this and you can perhaps even make an argument that he should have won it that year.
The following season LeBron would lead the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but their squad was just overmatched against the juggernaut that was the San Antonio Spurs. He would then win 4 MVP awards in a 5-year stretch between 2009 and 2013 to establish himself as unquestionably the best player in basketball.
While the likes of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry challenged him for the throne in the years after that, the King managed to remain at the top. A big reason for that is how well he takes care of his body, with Giannis Antetokounmpo recently expressing his shock at the King spending $1.5 million on his body. Giannis is seen by many as now the best player in the league as LeBron ages and he might want to take some more tips from James on how to maintain that level of greatness for as long as he has managed to.
