LeBron

That’s like 13 hypothetical questions in one post. Lebron has at least another 4/5 years of putting up sick numbers and will put up solid number after that because he can move down to the PF slot full time.

He is not the best ever, Jordan is. Jordan won EVERY year he played in his prime. Jordan never even played a game 7!

Lebron will end up high on the list near Bird and Magic. My guess (because there is no correct answer to this!) is that Lebron will be like the 6th or 7th best player to ever play.

That’s like 13 hypothetical questions in one post. Lebron has at least another 4/5 years of putting up sick numbers and will put up solid number after that because he can move down to the PF slot full time.

He is not the best ever, Jordan is. Jordan won EVERY year he played in his prime. Jordan never even played a game 7!

Lebron will end up high on the list near Bird and Magic. My guess (because there is no correct answer to this!) is that Lebron will be like the 6th or 7th best player to ever play.

It’s completely fruitless to talk in superlatives as far as who is best goes. How many fewer points per game would Jordan have scored if teams back in the day could play zone? The game isn’t the same any more so comparisons are moot. Now, as far as the career stats go, my take is

No on the points
Yes on rebounds
Yes on assists
Yes on MVPs
No on titles

It’s completely fruitless to talk in superlatives as far as who is best goes. How many fewer points per game would Jordan have scored if teams back in the day could play zone? The game isn’t the same any more so comparisons are moot. Now, as far as the career stats go, my take is

No on the points
Yes on rebounds
Yes on assists
Yes on MVPs
No on titles

Reaches 35,000 points = maybe if he scores 2200 pts each for the next 6-7 seasons
Reaches 10,000 rebounds = nahhh, but maybe 8000
Reaches 10,000 assists = maybe 8000 too
Passes Kareem with 7 MVPs = nah, durant, cp3 and rose will get one again hopefully if they lead their team to a better record than lebron
Passes Jordan with 7 championships = nope!

Can Durant catch LeBron? Surpass him? or wont reach his level?
Just a level under him in achievements, but skill wise hes up there.

Will LeBron convert to more of a stretch four who averages closer to 18,9,9 once he slows down physically? Or will he possibly just fall off the cliff and never truly adapt his game like other great athletes?
18, 6reb,5 i say once he reaches his mid 30’s

Last question, and the most important one.
Where does LeBron rank when its all said and done? Best ever? Debatable for top 5 with guys like Bird and Magic? Or not even that good?
Top 5-10 range

Reaches 35,000 points = maybe if he scores 2200 pts each for the next 6-7 seasons
Reaches 10,000 rebounds = nahhh, but maybe 8000
Reaches 10,000 assists = maybe 8000 too
Passes Kareem with 7 MVPs = nah, durant, cp3 and rose will get one again hopefully if they lead their team to a better record than lebron
Passes Jordan with 7 championships = nope!

Can Durant catch LeBron? Surpass him? or wont reach his level?
Just a level under him in achievements, but skill wise hes up there.

Will LeBron convert to more of a stretch four who averages closer to 18,9,9 once he slows down physically? Or will he possibly just fall off the cliff and never truly adapt his game like other great athletes?
18, 6reb,5 i say once he reaches his mid 30’s

Last question, and the most important one.
Where does LeBron rank when its all said and done? Best ever? Debatable for top 5 with guys like Bird and Magic? Or not even that good?
Top 5-10 range

35,000 points-yes
10,000 rebounds- possible
10,000 assists- not likely but still possible
7 MVPs- only 3 left to go so its possible
7 Rings- doubt it. Will Wade and Bosh last that long?

I can see him getting past 35,000 points. He would have to average 21.5 points a game for 8 more seasons to get past that. He would be 36 by that at time so I imagine after 33 his scoring would drop under 25ppg. He would have to average around 24.5 ppg a year over 7 seasons to reach that. In order to reach over 10,000 rb/ast he would have to average around 9 a game so I think that’s maybe a little bit out of his reach. 7 mvps looks easier to get than 7 rings just because he only needs 3 more, but the bad thing about that is I think voters might get bored of Lebron. I could see Kevin Durant passing him in points. Overall it depends on how long Lebron wants to play to reach these goals.

35,000 points-yes
10,000 rebounds- possible
10,000 assists- not likely but still possible
7 MVPs- only 3 left to go so its possible
7 Rings- doubt it. Will Wade and Bosh last that long?

I can see him getting past 35,000 points. He would have to average 21.5 points a game for 8 more seasons to get past that. He would be 36 by that at time so I imagine after 33 his scoring would drop under 25ppg. He would have to average around 24.5 ppg a year over 7 seasons to reach that. In order to reach over 10,000 rb/ast he would have to average around 9 a game so I think that’s maybe a little bit out of his reach. 7 mvps looks easier to get than 7 rings just because he only needs 3 more, but the bad thing about that is I think voters might get bored of Lebron. I could see Kevin Durant passing him in points. Overall it depends on how long Lebron wants to play to reach these goals.

Reaches 35,000 points (he is at about 21,000 now)
Reaches 10,000 rebounds
Reaches 10,000 assists (over 5000 for both right now)
Passes Kareem with 7 MVPs
Passes Jordan with 7 championships
——————————————————————————

IMO he only does the first of the above but he should come close in the others, it’s certainly possible but it would take an amazing amount of longevity.

Before everyone negs me for being a Lebron hater I’m just being realistic. Let’s say Lebron plays 8 more seasons at 82 games per season that’s 656 games, he’s been fortunate to not suffer any real injuries up to now but it’s unrealistic to expect him to continue to be so durable into his 30s with his style of play. It’ll probably end up closer to 600. As of right now his career averages are 27.6 RPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.9 APG. But as he ages his numbers are bound to go down across the board. I expect him to retire with about 26 PPG, 7 RPG, 6.2 APG. Right now he has played 765 games, let’s given him the benefit of the doubt and an extra 630 games (very lucky in terms of injuries). That would give him 36270 points, 9765 rebounds, and 8649 assists. He might hit the 10000 rebounds mark because he has been improving in that category and playing more PF lately.

As far as MVPs go voters will start to get voter fatigue of seeing him win and will start to vote for others even if he is the best player in the league (see Karl Malone and Charles Barkley). For example they’ll start comparing Lebron to himself, ex: “oh he had a better season last year we shouldn’t give him the MVP this year”

As far as championships go, I can’t see it. It’s just so hard to win multiple championships, I mean look how much effort it took for Lebron to win his first 2, winning 5 more would be so much more difficult.

“Do you think LeBron has it a little easier than past greats getting Kobe past his prime and Durant before his prime?”
—————————————————————————————————————————

That’s not really fair. Jordan didn’t peak until Magic and Bird were past their prime/retired and played Kobe well before his prime (matter of fact Durant is probably closer to his prime right now than Kobe was to his prime when MJ was playing for the Bulls).

Reaches 35,000 points (he is at about 21,000 now)
Reaches 10,000 rebounds
Reaches 10,000 assists (over 5000 for both right now)
Passes Kareem with 7 MVPs
Passes Jordan with 7 championships
——————————————————————————

IMO he only does the first of the above but he should come close in the others, it’s certainly possible but it would take an amazing amount of longevity.

Before everyone negs me for being a Lebron hater I’m just being realistic. Let’s say Lebron plays 8 more seasons at 82 games per season that’s 656 games, he’s been fortunate to not suffer any real injuries up to now but it’s unrealistic to expect him to continue to be so durable into his 30s with his style of play. It’ll probably end up closer to 600. As of right now his career averages are 27.6 RPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.9 APG. But as he ages his numbers are bound to go down across the board. I expect him to retire with about 26 PPG, 7 RPG, 6.2 APG. Right now he has played 765 games, let’s given him the benefit of the doubt and an extra 630 games (very lucky in terms of injuries). That would give him 36270 points, 9765 rebounds, and 8649 assists. He might hit the 10000 rebounds mark because he has been improving in that category and playing more PF lately.

As far as MVPs go voters will start to get voter fatigue of seeing him win and will start to vote for others even if he is the best player in the league (see Karl Malone and Charles Barkley). For example they’ll start comparing Lebron to himself, ex: “oh he had a better season last year we shouldn’t give him the MVP this year”

As far as championships go, I can’t see it. It’s just so hard to win multiple championships, I mean look how much effort it took for Lebron to win his first 2, winning 5 more would be so much more difficult.

“Do you think LeBron has it a little easier than past greats getting Kobe past his prime and Durant before his prime?”
—————————————————————————————————————————

That’s not really fair. Jordan didn’t peak until Magic and Bird were past their prime/retired and played Kobe well before his prime (matter of fact Durant is probably closer to his prime right now than Kobe was to his prime when MJ was playing for the Bulls).

Reaches 35,000 points Nah
Reaches 10,000 rebounds Yes
Reaches 10,000 assists Yes
Passes Kareem with 7 MVPs No, I say he gets 5
Passes Jordan with 7 championships No, too much competition in the NBA right now.

A couple other questions.
Do you think LeBron has it a little easier than past greats getting Kobe past his prime and Durant before his prime?

Who was Jordan’s biggest rival on his championship teams? Magic and Bird were past their prime, Shaq was too young.

Can Durant catch LeBron? Surpass him? or wont reach his level?

I think he will always be a step behind Lebron.

Will LeBron convert to more of a stretch four who averages closer to 18,9,9 once he slows down physically? Or will he possibly just fall off the cliff and never truly adapt his game like other great athletes?

He will adapt his game. He is great.

Last question, and the most important one.
Where does LeBron rank when its all said and done? Best ever? Debatable for top 5 with guys like Bird and Magic? Or not even that good?

Top 5 for sure. But he won’t pass Jordan or Kareem on the all time great list.

Reaches 35,000 points Nah
Reaches 10,000 rebounds Yes
Reaches 10,000 assists Yes
Passes Kareem with 7 MVPs No, I say he gets 5
Passes Jordan with 7 championships No, too much competition in the NBA right now.

A couple other questions.
Do you think LeBron has it a little easier than past greats getting Kobe past his prime and Durant before his prime?

Who was Jordan’s biggest rival on his championship teams? Magic and Bird were past their prime, Shaq was too young.

Can Durant catch LeBron? Surpass him? or wont reach his level?

I think he will always be a step behind Lebron.

Will LeBron convert to more of a stretch four who averages closer to 18,9,9 once he slows down physically? Or will he possibly just fall off the cliff and never truly adapt his game like other great athletes?

He will adapt his game. He is great.

Last question, and the most important one.
Where does LeBron rank when its all said and done? Best ever? Debatable for top 5 with guys like Bird and Magic? Or not even that good?

Top 5 for sure. But he won’t pass Jordan or Kareem on the all time great list.

He has 5 more years at his peak of 25pts 8rbs and 6 to 7 asts. I think since he has improved his game every year he will be a pretty good shooter and I think his game is suited to be able to last till he is 38 or 39. His post game will help him when he loses his athleticism and his shooting will help him and the fact that he can guard every position now it just means he will be stuck guarding SFs and PFs when he is older. He is a freakish athlete like jordan and he works incredibly hard, I say he gets 35,000 points, 10,000 rebounds 8,000 assists and plays 20 years in the NBA.

He should get at least 2 more MVPs but I think he gets 3 more and gets the record. No way he gets 7 titles with how the salary cap is.

He already is adapting his game by improving his shooting and getting a great post game because he is so good at throwing the cross court pass for a corner 3 and he should continue to develop more moves down there.

I think Lebron will be the best player of his generation like michael Jordan, Kareem abdul Jabbar, bill russell.

He has 5 more years at his peak of 25pts 8rbs and 6 to 7 asts. I think since he has improved his game every year he will be a pretty good shooter and I think his game is suited to be able to last till he is 38 or 39. His post game will help him when he loses his athleticism and his shooting will help him and the fact that he can guard every position now it just means he will be stuck guarding SFs and PFs when he is older. He is a freakish athlete like jordan and he works incredibly hard, I say he gets 35,000 points, 10,000 rebounds 8,000 assists and plays 20 years in the NBA.

He should get at least 2 more MVPs but I think he gets 3 more and gets the record. No way he gets 7 titles with how the salary cap is.

He already is adapting his game by improving his shooting and getting a great post game because he is so good at throwing the cross court pass for a corner 3 and he should continue to develop more moves down there.

I think Lebron will be the best player of his generation like michael Jordan, Kareem abdul Jabbar, bill russell.

Just want to say that the whole “you can’t compare players from different eras argument” is b.s. It might be hard to say who would win if Jordan’s Bulls played LeBron’s Heat, but you can absolutely compare their individual careers and try to determine their place in history. Obviously we won’t know where LeBron will land until his career is over, but he will and should be judge by what he is able to accomplish in the league. I do find the whole “who would win 1-on-1” a little comical. I think Jordan would win a 1-on-1 game but that doesn’t make him a better player. But I digress…

35,000 points – Yes.
10,000 rebounds – No.
10,000 assists – Yes.
7 MVPs – No.
7 Rings – No.

I think he’ll end up with 4-5 rings & mvps. There are too many good players for him to consistently dominate for a long stretch. Plus, Wade doesn’t have much left in the tank and once James either moves on to another team or the Heat have to reconfigure, there’s no guarantee that he will have to same talent/chemistry around him.

I think Durant has a chance to be as good as James. He has an obvious advantage in scoring ability. He’s lightyears ahead of LeBron as a shooter (even though LeBron has become a good shooter) and could score 35-40 a game efficiently if he set his mind to it. He has to become more balanced on offense. He’s become a better passer over the last two years but he’s still nowhere near LeBron’s level. I don’t think he ever will be the passer that LeBron is but he still must improve. He also needs to become an elite defender. He has the tools (good anticipation, monster wingspan, and good quickness) but still has a ways to go. It’s easy to judge him next to LeBron now, but Lebron has had several more years in the league. When KD is 28 we’ll have a better idea of what the comparison might look like.

Just want to say that the whole “you can’t compare players from different eras argument” is b.s. It might be hard to say who would win if Jordan’s Bulls played LeBron’s Heat, but you can absolutely compare their individual careers and try to determine their place in history. Obviously we won’t know where LeBron will land until his career is over, but he will and should be judge by what he is able to accomplish in the league. I do find the whole “who would win 1-on-1” a little comical. I think Jordan would win a 1-on-1 game but that doesn’t make him a better player. But I digress…

35,000 points – Yes.
10,000 rebounds – No.
10,000 assists – Yes.
7 MVPs – No.
7 Rings – No.

I think he’ll end up with 4-5 rings & mvps. There are too many good players for him to consistently dominate for a long stretch. Plus, Wade doesn’t have much left in the tank and once James either moves on to another team or the Heat have to reconfigure, there’s no guarantee that he will have to same talent/chemistry around him.

I think Durant has a chance to be as good as James. He has an obvious advantage in scoring ability. He’s lightyears ahead of LeBron as a shooter (even though LeBron has become a good shooter) and could score 35-40 a game efficiently if he set his mind to it. He has to become more balanced on offense. He’s become a better passer over the last two years but he’s still nowhere near LeBron’s level. I don’t think he ever will be the passer that LeBron is but he still must improve. He also needs to become an elite defender. He has the tools (good anticipation, monster wingspan, and good quickness) but still has a ways to go. It’s easy to judge him next to LeBron now, but Lebron has had several more years in the league. When KD is 28 we’ll have a better idea of what the comparison might look like.

Admittedly a Lebron fan, check my posts a long term fan not a recent one. As such, I have observed closely how he has developed in the last 3 years, let alone the progress he made over his FIRST decade in the game. It is conceivable that all of the statistical feats listed are capable of being eclipsed. But note I said previously his FIRST decade. At 28 years old he is just beginning to mature mentally into the championship caliber player we expected him to be. If greats like Kobe, Nash, Grant Hill, Jordan, Barkley, the Malones (Karl, and Moses), Kareem, Parrish, Russell, O’neal, Wilt, West…etc could all play and be effective well into their late 30’s and in some cases early 40’s, why would we expect any less of LeBron. He is as athletic as any player to ever play, so even as he loses a step he will still show +ability physically. Regardless of his skill set he is still a ‘big’, he is easily as big as many 4’s in the NBA right now. He will still continue to fill out as he continues to gain ‘man weight’ as he approaches middle age. Further, his court vision, selflessness as a teammate, extension of shooting range and the development of his catch and shoot abilities and spot up shooting will make him someone that will be valued at a premium by other younger premier player makers, similar to how Kareem was able to extend his career at a high level playing in tandem with Magic.

LeBron is a noted student of the game, and takes care of his body at the highest level, as such, one would expect a career that could easily stretch another 10 years as a primary contributor. Assume that he is capable of sustaining 25+ ppg scoring for 6-7 more years and that after that his next 3-4 seasons his scoring drops but his hustle/support numbers (rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals) increase as he takes a supporting role to a superior scoring playmaker in his youth. he reaches the numbers by say 37-38. This is all assuming that someone who is recognized as a genius level basketball mind by many players (current/former) and coaches, does not continue to evolve as a player by reinforcing good habits, and developing new skills like post play and continued recognition of effective “scoring zones” and shooting areas. Barring injury, top 5 ever to play. With a VERY OUTSIDE shot at G.O.A.T. if he is able to put friendship aside (Wade, Bosh) and seek out playing in the best winning situation for himself. Assuming another decade as a premier contributor (1st or 2nd option on a playoff team) and 3 more free agent deals (4 year, 4 year, 2 year) in the right situation with the right teammates (Durant/Melo/Westbrook, a legit athletic/scoring 5 man) we could easily see 3-4 more rings AFTER the one possible in 2014 before he becomes Free Agent, we could realistically see 7 rings for LeBron and atleast 5 MVP’s. 20-8-8 at 40 is not out of the question. if a 6+ foot Canadian PG could demonstrate excellence at 38-39 couldn’t
‘Bron?

When its all said and done…1. MJ, 2-5: James, Magic, Kobe, Russell (order undetermined). Mind you Bron will have to achieve his feats against the deepest core of competition in his position groupings since he is accountable for at least defending/being defended by multiple positions (1-4) while battling Melo, Durant, P. George, K. Leonard, Kobe, Dirk, Duncan, Harden, Griffen, Paul Pierce, KG, Josh Smith (defense/athlete), Deng, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, Westbrook, CP3, Iggy 9, Ginobili (don’t laugh one of greatest intl players EVER!), Gasol (Pau), and any other young guns emerging that I left off. I deliberately left off all of the 5 men (Hibbert/Howard/Chandler/Lopez) that he has defensive responsibility for contesting at the rim on help as the Heat are WOEFULLY UNDERSIZED…I mean Birdman? Bosh? as championship 5 men really? Lets accept that polarizing or not we are WITNESSing (pun intended) one of the most transcendent talents ever to play Naismiths great game. The best part is that for the first time we have been able to actually see the whole story play out before our eyes. All of his successes and failings have been illustrated for us on camera/social media since he was 14 years old! How many of us could handle the scrutiny, much less rebound to greatness from the very public failings and animosity he has faced. Greatness is not just never losing, but sometimes it is overcoming significant impediments to achieve success

Admittedly a Lebron fan, check my posts a long term fan not a recent one. As such, I have observed closely how he has developed in the last 3 years, let alone the progress he made over his FIRST decade in the game. It is conceivable that all of the statistical feats listed are capable of being eclipsed. But note I said previously his FIRST decade. At 28 years old he is just beginning to mature mentally into the championship caliber player we expected him to be. If greats like Kobe, Nash, Grant Hill, Jordan, Barkley, the Malones (Karl, and Moses), Kareem, Parrish, Russell, O’neal, Wilt, West…etc could all play and be effective well into their late 30’s and in some cases early 40’s, why would we expect any less of LeBron. He is as athletic as any player to ever play, so even as he loses a step he will still show +ability physically. Regardless of his skill set he is still a ‘big’, he is easily as big as many 4’s in the NBA right now. He will still continue to fill out as he continues to gain ‘man weight’ as he approaches middle age. Further, his court vision, selflessness as a teammate, extension of shooting range and the development of his catch and shoot abilities and spot up shooting will make him someone that will be valued at a premium by other younger premier player makers, similar to how Kareem was able to extend his career at a high level playing in tandem with Magic.

LeBron is a noted student of the game, and takes care of his body at the highest level, as such, one would expect a career that could easily stretch another 10 years as a primary contributor. Assume that he is capable of sustaining 25+ ppg scoring for 6-7 more years and that after that his next 3-4 seasons his scoring drops but his hustle/support numbers (rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals) increase as he takes a supporting role to a superior scoring playmaker in his youth. he reaches the numbers by say 37-38. This is all assuming that someone who is recognized as a genius level basketball mind by many players (current/former) and coaches, does not continue to evolve as a player by reinforcing good habits, and developing new skills like post play and continued recognition of effective “scoring zones” and shooting areas. Barring injury, top 5 ever to play. With a VERY OUTSIDE shot at G.O.A.T. if he is able to put friendship aside (Wade, Bosh) and seek out playing in the best winning situation for himself. Assuming another decade as a premier contributor (1st or 2nd option on a playoff team) and 3 more free agent deals (4 year, 4 year, 2 year) in the right situation with the right teammates (Durant/Melo/Westbrook, a legit athletic/scoring 5 man) we could easily see 3-4 more rings AFTER the one possible in 2014 before he becomes Free Agent, we could realistically see 7 rings for LeBron and atleast 5 MVP’s. 20-8-8 at 40 is not out of the question. if a 6+ foot Canadian PG could demonstrate excellence at 38-39 couldn’t
‘Bron?

When its all said and done…1. MJ, 2-5: James, Magic, Kobe, Russell (order undetermined). Mind you Bron will have to achieve his feats against the deepest core of competition in his position groupings since he is accountable for at least defending/being defended by multiple positions (1-4) while battling Melo, Durant, P. George, K. Leonard, Kobe, Dirk, Duncan, Harden, Griffen, Paul Pierce, KG, Josh Smith (defense/athlete), Deng, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, Westbrook, CP3, Iggy 9, Ginobili (don’t laugh one of greatest intl players EVER!), Gasol (Pau), and any other young guns emerging that I left off. I deliberately left off all of the 5 men (Hibbert/Howard/Chandler/Lopez) that he has defensive responsibility for contesting at the rim on help as the Heat are WOEFULLY UNDERSIZED…I mean Birdman? Bosh? as championship 5 men really? Lets accept that polarizing or not we are WITNESSing (pun intended) one of the most transcendent talents ever to play Naismiths great game. The best part is that for the first time we have been able to actually see the whole story play out before our eyes. All of his successes and failings have been illustrated for us on camera/social media since he was 14 years old! How many of us could handle the scrutiny, much less rebound to greatness from the very public failings and animosity he has faced. Greatness is not just never losing, but sometimes it is overcoming significant impediments to achieve success

Not that this will prove anything one way or the other, but consider James’ collective postseason numbers
596 pts
182 boards
152 assists

Say he averages, over the course of 8 years to be 75% as productive as he is right now that’s

~3600 pts
~1100 boards
~900 assists
extra on his numbers. So he could average 6 rebounds per game instead of 8 and still get to 10,000 in eight years, factoring in potential postseason exploits.

Not that this will prove anything one way or the other, but consider James’ collective postseason numbers
596 pts
182 boards
152 assists

Say he averages, over the course of 8 years to be 75% as productive as he is right now that’s

~3600 pts
~1100 boards
~900 assists
extra on his numbers. So he could average 6 rebounds per game instead of 8 and still get to 10,000 in eight years, factoring in potential postseason exploits.