[Tyreke JohnsonParticipant]

Before you Lebron fans disagree with this post completely just hear me out and let me say that I respect Lebron but I am not a fan nor biased.

Lebron has been dubbed “The King” for quite sometime now, he has played 7 seasons in the NBA has achieved quite numerous individual achievements and has already won 2 MVPs at the young age of 25. Spectacular? check Breathtaking? check Most gifted basketball player to ever live? check. He has all the intangible to make himself one of the all time greats and create a legacy that could even match Jordan’s. His goal is to dethrone MJ as the GOAT and seat himself as the King he has been called since his High School days. Now without a ring this is without a doubt insane and premature and many call crazy, he has led his team to two back to back 60+ win seasons and has not even made it to the Finals in those two years. With Free Agency coming up, Lebron is the most important Free Agent in NBA history, wherever he goes it is going to be a huge deal and people are already beginning to over analyze every single place Lebron could end up. Why is this you ask? Because people are so obsessed with Lebron and he is becoming an icon, similar to Jordan where all kids want to grow up and be just like Lebron and imitate him in every way.Even kids with limited basketball knowledge can see how talented Lebron is as a player and begin to look up to him as a role model. The way things are going Lebron’s chances at being a billionaire are not so far fetched.

Now lets look at Lebron as a player. He is 6’9 275 (or around that) runs gracefully, dunks viciously, passes majestically. He is a very physically blessed player and guys like him do not come often, he uses his athletic ability to separate himself from players, his offensive game though can get him 30ppg is very raw, his footwork is average, he is very ball dominant, does not have a consistent mid range or 3 point game and to be honest overpowers his opponents a lot to get his own way. Not only does he use his athleticism to make himself a top 2 player in the NBA, it is pretty much all he uses, he relies so heavily on his athleticism you cannot help but wonder if he does not work on his shooting, footwork and fundamentals what could happen to him in say 6-7 years. Look at Kevin Garnett for example, great athlete and great player but look at him now, at an older age he can not perform close or even somewhat close to his old days and is a shell of his former self, no disrespect to Garnett at all either. Now lets look at Kobe, athletic in his day but has been able to adapt his game to his age and can still play a very high level despite being on the back end of his prime, he was able to change his game to better suit his body and has benefited greatly because of it and at least to me is the best player in the game right now.

The question is which way is Lebron going to go? He drives to the basket endlessly and it takes a toll on your body after awhile, is he going to end up like KG and tarnish his legacy as a player and not be able to succeed in the NBA even after his athleticism leaves him or is not at the same level or will he adapt his game and incorporate more skill into his game so when that time of age does come, he can perform at a high level similar to Kobe/Jordan and he can work to better his legacy even more and prolong his career and attempt to dethrone Jordan and crown himself as Basketball’s greatest.

[tli232]

 I think with the way the NBA is now, LeBron will start to play a high post Power Forward position by the time he’s 30 years old and his athleticism is declining. He’ll still be a 25 PPG scorer regardless. However, playing the PF position at 270 pounds allows LeBron to use his athleticism in bursts, thus conserving his knees. I honestly think if LeBron’s smart, he’ll start to play like a Karl Malone on crack with handles and quicks.

He’ll still be a top 5 impact player in the game for 10 more years if he eventually moves to the 4, as his physical stature easily allows him to not only hold his own, but dominate many power forwards in the game due to his quicks and strength.

I hope he does the smart thing.

[NYCrealdealParticipant]

garnett a shell of his former self tarnish his legacy r u serious
how did KG tarnish his legacy i would really like to know that

[apb540Participant]

No way he reaches MJ’s level. He should try shooting for Magic first then start throwing the word “king” around.

[the I in winParticipant]

I’ve actually thought about this before. I saw how Kobe changed his game and saw how Vince Carter didn’t, look at them now, which was better in the early 2000’s? Vince. Which is better now? Kobe. Is Lebron going to be like Kobe or be like Vince?

[Tyreke JohnsonParticipant]

He is not the same player is what I meant and when you play like that during the end of your career people begin to think of you differently then say Jordan who was a 20ppg scorer and efficient even with the Wizards.

Great point you bring up he could be moved to the PF spot but his post game needs some work otherwise he might be able to benefit from it, I am not dissing Lebron or Garnett it was just asking everyones opinion

[billykParticipant]

Garnett is very fundamentally sound… His footwork is super nice (dream shake anyone???), solid from mid range game, and he has a HIGH basketball IQ….

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

How did KG tarnish his legacy? He won a championship and was the heart of the defense. He doesn’t put up great numbers because there are 2 other future Hall of Famers on that team. KG’s footwork is amazing, his passing ability is above average, his leadership keeps the team together, and his passion is UNMATCHED.

I don’t even care what you said about LeBron, that KG comment alone pissed me off.

[Tyreke JohnsonParticipant]

Dude calm down I am entitled to my own opinion no need to get all crazy, I have complete and total respect for KG and think he is one of the best PFs to ever play but I just do not think he is the same player or even close to it, yes his legacy would not be the same if he was still playing close to where he used to be which is exactly my point because he has not been very consistent these last two years injury or not his legacy would not have so much been affected.

[billykParticipant]

He is NEAR THE END of his career… Curious, whats wrong with KG’s legacy???

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

This was a good post, but I think KG was the wrong player to use. He’s HIGHLY skilled and has great footwork. He can play the low or high post. He can shoot the mid-range. Has soft hands, passes well… He defends. KG was just the wrong player to use.

The only problem with KG is just that he had to have major knee surgery as a 30+ year old.

[MkadozaParticipant]

1. Can you please change “degress” to “regress”? It just makes you look stupid.

2. This is what makes me laugh. Where is this Lebron has no skills crap coming from? Or that he’s raw? His three point consistancy is much improved, though far from elite. His midrange game is excellent, and I don’t think thats a question. I personally think it underutilized outside of a quick step in 20 footer. His ball handling is among the very best in the league. His left hand is among the very best in the league. His passing, court vision and IQ are among the best in the league. You dont average 27 points, 7 reb, 7 ast for your career unless your a damn good basketball player. How many times are people going to accept that Lebron is the best player in the NBA for the entire regular season and then downgrade him because his team couldnt win? Why didnt anyone bust Shaq’s balls for playing like crap? Because people act like a ring is a free pass on being criticized on your skill. If Lebron James gets less atheltic, he’s a less flashy Magic Johnson skill wise.

3. Vince Carter changed his game. He just isnt Kobe. Vince Carter lost way more quickness than Kobe (probably because of Kobe recomitment to being lighter and more agile a couple years ago after he tried bulking up to around 225.) Carter is still a good shooter, a good passer, he just not NEARLY as quick or explosive, and his a fairly passive player now. He doesnt act like a first option, and Kobe scoffs at you if you think your getting a shot before him. Its also a fair question about Lebron. Does he want to be a scorer? On the Cavs team he has, Jordan or Kobe would have taken 25 shots a game because they know that they are above and away the best scorers. Lebron takes 20 shots because he has to, and seems way happier taking 14 shots with 18-22 points and getting a ton of assists and defensive plays. Now on a team like the Cavs, they needed more Jordan than Magic but

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