“If you give LeBron a dollar and ask for change, he’ll only give you three quarters in return.”
Laugh all you want at his playoff woes, but the guy that is ripping you off of 25 cents in this hypothetical situation is the best player in the game – no questions asked.
I am not a LeBron fan and I never will be, but I am sick and tired of listening to people tell me that other players in the league are better than him. They simply are not. LeBron James can do some things with a basketball that have never, and may never, be replicated. The man would be the best point guard in the NBA, if he wanted to be. He would be the best power forward in the NBA, if he wanted to be. He is a mismatch against EVERYBODY. Either the man guarding him is not as big or cannot keep up with him. He can shoot the 3. He can dunk. He is the best on-ball defender in the game – but I digress. Let’s take a look at some numbers, shall we?
LeBron is currently sitting at 27.7 points per game, a point behind Kobe for the scoring title. Not only does LeBron crack the top five in points per game, he is fifth in field goal percentage (ridiculous for someone who often brings up the ball!). The four people ahead of him in field goal percentage are Tyson Chandler (who is shooting an astounding 69 percent), Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum and Marcin Gortat. Considering it would be hard-pressed to find a time when the aforementioned names are not in the paint, shooting from point-blank range, I consider LeBron’s place in the top five quite the accomplishment. The dude shoots from everywhere.
But the scariest part about LeBron is that he is getting better. He is only 27-years-old and he will still be in his prime for years to come. But with age he has gotten smarter. He understands his offensive limitations, even though they are few. He is taking smarter shots, distributing the ball with finesse and helping out his teammates.
I am certainly not saying that LeBron is the best player of all time, but I would make the argument that he is the most gifted – he just needs to turn his skills into rings. LeBron James may very well be the best athlete that I’ve ever seen, and one day, perhaps very soon, he will finally quiet his haters and win that championship.
