A conversation with a LeBron fan the other day made me want to address three issues I have with the logic of many LeBron James fans.
#1 – Choose whether LeBron James is a young phenom or an NBA veteran.
Here’s what I mean. When comparing him to other great players, sometimes he did things younger, and sometimes he’s a veteran. When comparing him to Michael Jordan for example, people say LeBron won a championship at age 27, when Michael won his first at age 28. Well, since LeBron came into the league at 18 and Jordan at 21, Michael actually won his first in his seventh season and Lebron won his in his ninth. But LeBron fans will ignore years played in that instance.
When comparing him to Larry Bird however, it’s “look at the numbers LeBron put up in his tenth season. What did Larry do in his tenth season?” Since LeBron came into the league at 18, in Lebron’s tenth season he is 28 years old, in the prime of his career. Since Larry came into the league at 22, in his tenth season he was 32 years old, already in decline from age and back injury. LeBron fans will ignore age in this instance.
If you look at age however, Larry Bird’s season at age 28 (28.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 52% FG, 43% 3PFG, 88% FT, League MVP) compares very well with LeBron’s season at age 28 (26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 57% FG, 41% 3PFG, 75% FT, League MVP). When you compare apples to apples, LeBron is not blowing these legends out the water.
#2 – Lebron being more athletic than other players doesn’t mean he is clearly better than other players. Athleticism is not the standard for basketball achievement, but it can help.
If you look at Larry Bird, he was never even near the most athletic player on the court, but he was one of the dominant figures in the golden age of basketball. Dude won three straight MVPs and three championships in the 80s, an era where Magic, Kareem, Dominique, Michael, Isiah, and Moses Malone were putting in their work.
If you look at Kevin Love today, how often is he the most athletic player on the court? Never; but he averaged 26 and 13 last season because he eats glass and he has a high basketball IQ. And getting back to Larry, Larry has a higher rebound percentage than LeBron for his career, which tracks what percentage of available rebounds a player is getting. So no, if LeBron played in the ’80s, he wouldn’t have averaged 15 rebounds, because he just doesn’t rebound at that level. Not a knock on him, it just is what it is. Stop assuming because LeBron is more athletic he would dominate. Did his athleticism help him dominate the 2011 NBA Finals, a series in which the Heat clearly had the two most athletic players on the floor? No. Athleticism CAN help you, but doesn’t necessarily make you the better ball player. As fans of the game, LeBron fans have to realize this. History has proven it time and time again.
#3 – Stop acting like LeBron is the only player to put up outlandish stats and compile accolades as a young player. LeBron IS a very special player, but he is by no means the MOST special player in terms of career achievement and stats, at this point.
Below are the CAREER averages of Magic, Larry, Michael, and LeBron James, which include “fall-off” years for the first three. Remember that LeBron is still in his peak years and his final career averages will probably be slightly lower than what they are now, like with all players.
Magic Johnson
19.5 PPG, 11.2 APG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 52% FG, 30% 3PFG, 85% FT
Young Player Swag: Won NBA Championship AND NBA Finals MVP as a Rookie, Started NBA All-Star Game as a rookie, had two Finals MVPs by age 22.
Larry Bird
24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 49.6% FG, 38% 3PFG, 89% FT
Young Player Swag: NBA All-Star AND 1st Team All-NBA as a ROOKIE, Won NBA Championship in his 2nd year.
Michael Jordan
30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 49.7% FG, 33% 3PFG, 84% FT
Young Player Swag: All-Star Starter AND 2nd Team All-NBA as a rookie, won NBA Defensive Player of the Year at age 25.
LeBron James (career up to now)
27.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 49.0 FG%, 34% 3PFG, 75% FT
Young Player Swag: Youngest player to win FOUR NBA MVPs (age 28), youngest player to be selected to All-NBA 1st Team (21), youngest player to record a triple double (18).
LeBron James has a lot of “youngest” records, but part of that is due to the fact that most greats did not have the opportunity to enter the league straight out of high school like LeBron. They could have tried, but either would not have been drafted or not drafted as high, messing up the money. But as soon as these other greats got to the league at 20 (Magic), 21 (Michael), and 22 (Larry), they were putting in major work, as you can clearly see.
It is arguable that LeBron James has the “best” statistical averages out of these great perimeter players, but it is also very arguable that he does not. And remember his numbers are still at peak, and will probably sink slightly before he retires, just like they did for the other guys. He’s a “great”, but no matter how you look at it he is not blowing these guys out of the water just yet.
Chris Price for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Chris Price, Larry Bird, Lebron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, War Room Sports
Excellent article, can’t disagree with anything you have written. I believe that you are punishing LeBron for coming straight out of high school. We will never know if they would have had the success tha5 LBJ had. But the numbers he has put up vs. the other stars, you are on the money. Thanks for sharing.
Hahahaha this is so bad.
So, judging by your points in the article, the fact that Lebron stepped foot on an NBA court and at the age of 18, the same year Jordan and Magic were playing against against 18-22 year old kids and Larry Bird was playing no basketball at all after dropping out of Indiana, and this young man averaged 21, 6, and 5 playing against grown men. The same year Jordan was winning player of the year in college and Magic and Bird were battling each other in game 6 of the the National championship in college, Lebron was scoring his teams final 26 points in game 5 of the Eastern conference finals and battling with one of, if not the, greatest power forward of all time right in the end of his prime, with sidekicks squarely in their prime, being led by an all time great coach.
But, because Lebron left Cleveland and the way he left, people forget his greatness as a very young man having to carry an otherwise terrible franchise.
Pay your f*cking respect.