LeBron James‘ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason has restarted one of the longest-running debates of his career: Has he consistently gone after star-studded teams in pursuit of championships?
A post that recently went viral on social media has only added more fuel to that discussion. According to the graphic, LeBron has now played next to 14 of the top 126 points-per-game scorers in NBA history.
That includes two of the top five and eight of the top 10. The post also notes that 75% of those players were either in their prime or still young when they became LeBron’s teammates. The same post also included a contrast with Michael Jordan, and it was pretty striking.
Jordan played with just one player ranked among the top 50 scorers in NBA history: Hall of Famer George Gervin (25.1 PPG), who was 33 years old during his lone season with Jordan on the Chicago Bulls.
LeBron’s list features an impressive collection of NBA stars. Among the top 50 scorers are Luka Doncic (29.2 PPG), Joel Embiid (27.6 PPG), Anthony Davis (24.0 PPG), Shaquille O’Neal (23.7 PPG), Kyrie Irving (23.7 PPG), Carmelo Anthony (22.5 PPG), Tyrese Maxey (21.1 PPG) and Jaylen Brown (19.4 PPG). Other names on the list are Russell Westbrook (16.7 PPG), Chris Bosh (19.2 PPG), Brandon Ingram (19.8 PPG), Ray Allen (18.9 PPG) and Antawn Jamison (18.5 PPG).
The latest additions are Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, who joined the list after LeBron signed with the Sixers in free agency as he chases the fifth championship of his career. As expected, critics have used these numbers to add to the longstanding narrative that LeBron has repeatedly joined forces with elite talent rather than building championship teams organically.
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has been one of the most vocal critics, and Stephen A. Smith has recently joined in as well. Those comments come after LeBron’s move to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he joins former MVP Joel Embiid and All-NBA players Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey.
But supporters of LeBron don’t see the situation the same way. Former Lakers guard Derek Fisher recently defended LeBron against the ring-chasing label, saying that players like LeBron don’t chase rings. Rich Paul, LeBron’s longtime agent, has also pushed back against that narrative.
Context also matters when you look at numbers like these. LeBron has undoubtedly played with an extraordinary amount of talent. Many of those partnerships were created because of his own influence.
Players such as Anthony Davis forced trades to join him, while veterans like Ray Allen, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook arrived during the later stages of their careers. Others like Luka Doncic, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown are part of a new chapter as LeBron extends his career into his 40s.
Still, the sheer number of incredible teammates is tough to ignore. No matter which side of the debate fans fall on, the graphic shows just how many high-level scorers LeBron has shared the floor with throughout his incredible 23-year career.
Whether that strengthens the argument that he is a serial ring-chaser or simply shows his ability to attract other stars is a matter for another day.
But with LeBron now sharing the floor with three All-NBA-level talents, the discussion around his legacy and the role superstar teammates have played in it will not fade away anytime soon.
