Unlike most NBA players, as LeBron James has aged and gotten deeper in his NBA career, he has become more efficient on the court.
LeBron James is unlike any player in NBA history. For starters, he has a lethal combination of scoring and passing to make him virtually unguardable, but he is also only getting better. However, it didn’t always use to be that way. James used to be just a dynamic scorer with a sprinkle of passing and rebounding. But, now, LeBron James is a completely different and much more dynamic player.
At the beginning of James’ career, during his first tenure in Cleveland, he averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. James’ ability to transcend his game into what it is today is unlike any other. According to Business Insider, the average NBA career is just 4.8 years. Well, LeBron James is in year 15 and putting up career highs. His work ethic, durability, and mental toughness have taken him to where is today.
The evolution of his game is clear when you take a look at it graphically.
The graphs can tell the story but not the whole story. Over the years, James field goal percentage and assists have both taken a dip between the years, and some of that can be influenced by his surrounding cast. As you can see, in his 15th season, James is averaging a career-high in both field goal percentage and assist.
James is still averaging 28.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Over the last two years, his turnovers have risen though, but any team in the league would easily take 4.1 turnovers per game in exchange for the volume efficiency that LeBron gives.
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To top it all off, LeBron James is 32 years old, past the prime of most NBA greats. Bleacher Report, in 2013, actually called that James could have an extended prime, performing at a high volume until his mid-30s. Not to mention James will be 33 in just five short days!
James’ evolution is clear, but let’s compare it to some other NBA legends to show just how special of a breed James is. Two of renown NBA greats are Shaquille O’ Neal and Michael Jordan, so let’s check in where they were when they were 32 years old.
Michael Jordan was obviously on a downhill slope but was still putting up incredible numbers at 32. He averaged 30.4 points per game, 2.3 more than James. However, he averaged over two fewer rebounds and a fraction of his assists.
It’s hard to say that Jordan is undoubtedly the best player in NBA history when comparing stats. His numbers were great, but Jordan didn’t shoot over 50% from the field, didn’t grab over 7 boards per game, or didn’t dish out over 5 assists per game. James does all of those. Age has made James more efficient, and he’s certainly surpassed the player many think is the greatest of all time (GOAT).
As for Shaq, his body size and physical ability made him still a force in the NBA at 32. O’Neal’s first season in Miami was when he was 32. That season, he averaged 22.9 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per game on over 60% from the field. However, that was also Wade’s second season in the league, so he was the main threat in Miami, averaging 24.6 points per game. Overall, Shaq was still a force at 32 and continued to be a force until he took a steep downhill spiral when he joined the Boston Celtics at 37.
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While other NBA greatest were relevant at 32, LeBron James is still in his prime at 32. James has been and will continue to be one of the NBA’s best players.