In a segment for NBA on TNT, Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama made an interesting pick for which player he believes is the most underrated. Much to the surprise of fans, he chose LeBron James.
TNT: “Whose game is more underrated in the league?”
Victor Wembanyama: “I’m gonna go with LeBron [James]. Underrated means you’re just not rated at your right value, right? I think LeBron is underrated.”
Victor, who was drafted first overall in 2023, is quickly making a name for himself as one of the league’s premier young athletes. This season, through 46 games, he’s averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game on 47.6% shooting.
When asked for the league’s most underrated played, he could have picked a borderline All-Star or even one of his young Spurs teammates. Instead, he went with 40-year-old LeBron James (24.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 9.0 assists per game on 51.6% shooting), who is currently in his 22nd season.
After two decades of dominating the game, LeBron is viewed as one of the greatest players ever but most fans and experts agree that his game has taken a sharp decline over the past few years. On the Lakers, he’s no longer the leading star of the team with Luka Doncic’s arrival having overshadowed his presence.
Despite LeBron’s stat line, however, his game nowadays may be more valuable than people are giving him credit for. James has not only become one of the NBA’s most consistent shooters, he has become a genius playmaker who brings out the best in the Lakers’ offense.
If that wasn’t enough, the Lakers’ performance this season should prove LeBron’s case as being one of the best players in the game today. The Purple and Gold are not the deepest or most talented team, but the collective talent of guys like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Anthony Davis (before his trade to the Mavericks) was more than enough for LeBron to lead the Lakers to a respectable place in the West.
In light of the Luka Doncic deal, the team is without a center and everyone is still trying to adjust to the new roster. Thanks to LeBron’s leadership and steady hand, the transition has been buttery smooth so far with a 3-1 record and flashes of greatness on the offensive end.
So while King James may not have the same burst or speed he used to, his skills, work ethic, and dedication to perfecting his craft have kept him effective longer than any other player has done before.
And yet, somehow, LeBron doesn’t get the credit he deserves. There’s no talk of him in the MVP conversation and, for the second time since 2016, he wasn’t the leading All-Star vote-getter among the fans.
By the looks of it, LeBron’s impact this year has been massive and Victor may be right in saying that it deserves more recognition. At this stage of his career, what LeBron is doing is unprecedented and yet it’s still being overlooked by so many people.
Victor Wembanyama has taken notice and it’s a safe bet that he’ll try to take a page or two from LeBron’s playbook to help jumpstart his promising young career.
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