LeBron is one of the greatest basketball players -- and pure athletes -- in the history of the NBA. That claim is not, or should not be, in any way controversy or disputable. However, in discussions of greatness, of a degree of excellence that poses questions and discussion about GOAT status, LeBron is not, for me, a Top-5 consideration. Lebron James is most certainly not the greatest player ever, and for many reasons he is a Tier-2 player in GOAT discussions.
A recent post of mine about Steph Curry and Nicola Jokic being more positive impacts on the game than Lebron has been or ever could be certainly set off a bit of online quibbling. And, let's be clear, some may call that rage baiting, but others would say that claims and social media threads like this are just part of the fun of being a sports fan. And to be clear: I am not a "LeBron hater." I have mad respect for the career he has produced and the person he is off the court. But as a basketball player, he is simply not the greatest.
Let's start with the most basic skill of the game - the dribble. For someone to be considered an elite baller, in my opinion, that player has to be highly skilled on the dribble. And Lebron is simply not a talented ball handler. In fact, as a point of comparison, Nicola Jokic is arguably the best big man ball handler I've ever seen. LeBron doesn't dribble well at all and carries the ball in a rather audacious way.
The greatest ballers have to be highly skilled on the dribble. Think about the Allen Iverson crossover, the graceful transition of Magic, the manic movement of the ball in Larry Bird's hands, and the poetically frenzied dribble of Steph Curry. Great ballers have to be great on the dribble -- a fundamental component of the game. MJ was an incredible ball handler, so smooth on the dribble. And literally no one cites the graceful dribble of LeBron James because he's just not good at it.
The next most important consideration is, of course, the jump shot. To be the best, a player has to have a wide range of jumpers. And I've never heard anyone brag about Lebron's deft touch on the ball. Michael Jordan practically invented and certainly perfected the fadeaway jumper. It was an innovation in the game that he developed as a way to avoid the punishing treatment in the lane he received. Kobe, of course, took lessons and crafted an equally exquisite jumper. Bird could shoot from practically anywhere on the floor, Kevin Durant is an elite baller with a deft touch and staggering range, and, of course, Steph is a sharpshooter of historic proportions.
LeBron simply doesn't have a great jump shot -- the majority of his points come from back-down layups and jams, points in transition -- where he travels to an embarrassing degree -- and obviously free throws.
And, of course, we all know the mantra -- defense wins championships -- and LeBron is quite simply not a great defender. I'm not going to argue that he's awful or that he never plays D, though that is a common and widely-held criticism of LB -- he doesn't play defense, especially not in the past few years. While he has made one all-defensive team, his prowess on D is often referenced to his skill at the "chase down block." But that's not defense -- often that's a reaction to a lapse or breakdown in coverage. And, let's be clear -- Michael Jordan was a 9-time All Defensive Team player and a one time Defensive Player of the Year.
To add to that, it's worth noting an incredible stat of true greatness, of GOAT-ness. Only one NBA player has ever won the scoring title, been all defensive team, league MVP, NBA champion and Finals MVP. That player is Michael Jordan and he did it four times.
The team hopping is another weakness. Jordan once noted a key difference in his era and today -- he didn't want to join another elite player's team. He wanted to beat that guy. MJ and players of his era did not hop around to other organizations and build "super teams" and the Big-3's. Bird wanted to beat Magic and vice versa. Jordan and Pippen want to beat Barkley and Ewing and Drexler and Olajuwon and Malone and Stockton. Dr. J -- a legitimate T5 player who never gets the respect he deserves -- said, "If LeBron hadn't tried to assemble superteams to win championships, I'd have him in the Top 10. I have him at #15 behind Scottie Pippin."
Finally, it's just really tough for me to declare greatness on a player who flops and begs for penalties as blatantly as LeFlop. It's honestly embarrassing. And while Kareem rolled back his comments on this in the past, he was being perfectly candid and honest when he criticized LB for whining and crying literally on the floor of the Boston Garden. Granted people have argued that it's all part of the game, but I find the whole thing just hugely disappointing. In all honesty, flopping is cheating. It's beneath the dignity of the game. And I have no memories of such nonsense from the time I grew up watching Bird and Magic and MJ. Those GOAT candidates never flopped.
So, yeah, LeBron is in no way the GOAT of the game of basketball. He's not even in a legit Top-5. LeBron James is an incredible athlete and great basketball player who has had an historic, impressive career. While I believe he would have greatly benefited from a couple years of solid college coaching, his ability to jump to the NBA and being immediately impactful is a testament to his skill. And, as a person, LeBron has carried off an achievement of a truly scandal-free career. He's a good guy, all the way around. I'm not a LeBron hater -- I'm just not a fan.
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