Superstar LeBron James may be in the later stages of his career, but he is still playing at a high level for the Los Angeles Lakers. His longevity has been extremely impressive, and there has been no player who has been All-NBA caliber consistently for two decades straight like James. Many believe that James’ longevity is part of what makes him the GOAT of basketball over Michael Jordan.
Recently, forward Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke to Joe Vardon about James, declaring him as the GOAT over Jordan.
“Some guys might say he is No. 2, but other guys like me, I say he is No. 1, and he’s still going.”
Antetokounmpo is far from the only player who thinks that James is the GOAT. A lot of James’ opponents from the younger generation, such as Jaren Jackson Jr. think that James is the GOAT, simply because of his consistent dominance even late into his career.
This past season, James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game for the Lakers. Though it is unclear if he can still be the No. 1 option on a championship team at this stage of his NBA journey, it is quite possible that he can still be integral on a title-winning team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Says LeBron James Set The Blueprint For Modern NBA Players
There is no doubt that James has been great as the face of the NBA. He has had no off-court scandals and has consistently promoted the game and pushed basketball forward. He is a great representative for the league, and later in the interview with Vardon, Antetokounmpo claimed that James is setting the blueprint for modern NBA players.
“For 21 years, you never get in trouble, to be able to take in his family, protect this family, raise his kids the right way, you know, be happily married, all those things, it’s perfect. He’s kind of like setting the blueprint for the rest of us to go forward. That’s what I want. I want to be able to do what I do on the court consistently, be good, be healthy, be available for my team, be able to, you know, raise my family in a bubble away from what I do on the court for them to have a normal life as much as I can. Stay out of trouble.”
James has consistently been a professional throughout this time in the league, never forcing his way out of teams or causing trouble behind the scenes. He is the best face of the league that the NBA could have possibly had over the last 20 years, and it’ll be a sad day for many when he retires from basketball.
LeBron James Can Still Win A Championship Next Season
Even though James might no longer be the player he was in his prime, there is still a chance for him to win a championship with the Lakers next season. For that to happen, though, Anthony Davis has to be the No. 1 option for the team, even when James is present. The team has everything else in place, with a lot of elite role players surrounding their stars.
Of course, James will still have to play a prominent role for the Lakers for them to win at a high level. He will likely still be the primary floor general for the team, and a lot of the team’s role players will rely on him to get them open looks from beyond the arc.
We will see how the Lakers actually end up doing next season. They are projected as one of the best teams in the league going into this upcoming year, and their ceiling is definitely being a championship squad.
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