LeBron James is one of the best players in the league today, even though he is close to being 38 years old. He is having a solid year with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 25.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 6.3 APG.
There is no doubt that when he was younger, LeBron James often dominated opponents with his athleticism on the interior. However, in his later years, LeBron James developed a solid perimeter game, and he recently claimed that his game has evolved to where he doesn’t need to rely on “super-duper athleticism” to be an elite player.
"I don't have to rely on super duper athleticism to be effective." – LeBron James shares his thought on his game evolving throughout the years and Russell Westbrook's infectious energy. pic.twitter.com/xaaHqziIEC
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 1, 2022
My game has evolved, and I don’t have to rely on super-duper athleticism to be effective. For my first 12 years of my career… I was just super-duper athletic. And I could not be as efficient, and not be as dialed in on the actual game of basketball… But I’m also smart enough to know that in order for me to be the best player I needed to be, I needed to grow my game.
LeBron James’ approach has clearly worked, and his longevity is second-to-none as of right now. He has a legitimate chance to break the all-time scoring record this year, with some projections suggesting that he will break it against the Milwaukee Bucks.
LeBron James’ GOAT Case Lies In His Longevity
There has never been an NBA player that has played at a superstar level for as long as LeBron James. In fact, Julius Erving has previously claimed that LeBron James will “re-establish the bar for what the GOAT is” with his play.
Julius Erving: “Well, he’s gone past everybody for one thing. He comes in at 18 years old and he had the pro body and the pro ability as a high schooler. I really haven’t seen anybody have that package. Moses, he was probably the closest and there was Bill Willoughby who it didn’t work out for. And there were some other guys, like Kevin Garnett, but he’s not LeBron and he’s not Moses.
“So, LeBron is the Chosen One in that regard. He’s gonna play into his 40s. He’s gonna have, you know, a 22 or 23-year career. And nobody’s done that in basketball either. Those last few years for Shaq and for Kobe, you know they were on the bench, they were on the sidelines. LeBron, it won’t be the same for him. So he can still be that complete player… He’s a total machine. He’s gonna be the guy. He’s gonna be the guy who re-establishes the bar for what the GOAT is.”
There is no question that LeBron James has a decent GOAT case. Most people will still prefer Michael Jordan in discussions, but LeBron James is definitely viewed as a close second.
Though LeBron James is entering the twilight of his career, there is no doubt that he has a few elite years left. Hopefully, we will see more people appreciate his greatness going forward, as LeBron James is a once-in-a-lifetime player.
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.
