LeBron James‘ basketball legacy is already immortalized as a four-time champion, four-time MVP, and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. After 23 seasons, he’s accomplished all there is to do in this game, leaving nothing left on the table.
So when he was recently asked where he fits among the NBA all-time hierarchy, the King did not hesitate to put himself at the top. When considering his total body of work, it’s hard to do better than the guy who has been the face of the game for over two decades.
“I’m not taking anybody over me,” said James, via TIME. “There’s no question. But I think Mike will say the same thing. Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing. Magic will say the same thing. Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late great Wilt. Kareem. I don’t think any of us are going to take somebody else. If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ.”
To LeBron’s credit, he’s one of the most accomplished players this game has ever seen, and there are practically no weaknesses to his game. The 22x All-Star boasts career averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game on 50.7% shooting and 34.8% shooting from three across stints with three different teams: the Cavaliers, Heat, and Lakers.
For James, getting the chance to play with All-NBA teammates regularly has only helped enhance his career, but he doesn’t think it should diminish his own basketball legacy. For him, the All-Star team-up is just a formula for success, and it shouldn’t be taken as an attempt to run from the grind.
“It’s no different from someone in business going from one place to the next place, because they get a better opportunity to be around better people,” James added. “In sports, sometimes people get so caught up in ‘He should do this on his own.’ I don’t play tennis, and I don’t play golf. The way I grew up is, we’ve got to do this together as a team.”
Historically, almost every great player has had some elite sidekicks/co-stars. For Michael Jordan, it was Scottie Pippen, and for Kobe Bryant, it was Shaquille O’Neal. Meanwhile, in his career, LeBron James has been fortunate enough to play with the likes of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis, and Luka Doncic.
It’s an admittedly stacked list, but LeBron doesn’t count any of it against his legacy. He put in the work, and his impact as the captain of those championship teams was undeniable. So while he may not match Jordan in titles or MVPs, LeBron is right there when it comes to everything else. He’s someone who can do it all, and his game still holds up at 41 years old, coming off season averages of 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 51.5% shooting from the field and 31.7% shooting from three.
