AP got it right naming Cavs legend LeBron James top male athlete of 2010s

Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers are forever grateful for the team’s 2003 first overall draft pick in LeBron James, especially for what he did in his second stint with the team. It was also clear that the Associated Press got it right naming LeBron their Male Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s.

LeBron James has had one heck of a career, and whether you like/love him or not, you have to admit that. In the past decade, he really made his mark, too, and fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers can attest to that; not surprisingly, James was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s (h/t the AP’s Tim Reynolds).

The way James left Cleveland via unrestricted free agency the first time to the Miami Heat was far from an ideal scenario, but he did at least raise a ton of money for charity, anyhow. From there, James would go to four straight NBA Finals, and win two of those.

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Then in the summer of 2014, James would come back to Cleveland via unrestricted free agency, and go to another four straight NBA Finals.

That was a truly special time to be a Cavs fan, with James mostly alongside Kevin Love (who Cleveland acquired via reported trade in 2014) and Kyrie Irving, though Irving was traded before the 2017-18 season to the Boston Celtics.

James would deliver on his promise in terms of bringing the Cavaliers/Northeast Ohio a championship, in which the Wine and Gold became the only team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.

They also did so against the team that had the best regular season record (at least in terms of the 82-game scale) in the Golden State Warriors at 73-9, along with the first unanimous MVP in league history in Stephen Curry (his then-second straight MVP award), too.

Furthermore, in his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the ever-dominant James had averages of 26.1 points, 8.0 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 36.6 minutes per game, according to Basketball Reference. In the postseason, he was often playing at a different level than his peers, too.

The aforementioned Reynolds also gave some more context when it comes to LeBron’s dominance in the 2010s.

"“No NBA player won more games or more MVP awards over the last 10 years than he did.”"

James would take home three league MVP awards in that stretch, win three NBA titles and win an Olympic gold medal, too, as CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish (and formerly of FanSided) noted.

Reynolds would also hit on how James founded a school, the “I Promise School,” in nearby Akron, Ohio, and how James “used his voice often on social matters.”

Of others in the running among AP sports editors and beat writers (per Reynolds), which didn’t come close, really, were legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who came in second, along with Usain Bolt for his Olympic brilliance as a sprinter, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and the “most decorated Olympian with 28 medals” in Michael Phelps.

At any rate, given the continued dominance of James going to eight straight NBA Finals, and often getting through the Eastern Conference with ease, especially with the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was clear that the AP got it right naming LeBron their Top Male Athlete of the Decade.

So far in this 2019-20 season, in what is James’ second season with the Los Angeles Lakers (he reportedly signed with them via unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018), LeBron is averaging 25.1 points, 10.8 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 35.0 minutes per game.

For further context: James’ 35th birthday is Monday, and he is currently leading the NBA in assists with those 10.8 per contest, as indicated by NBA.com.

Along with that, James, who is one of the key focal points on the Western Conference-leading Lakers, as Wimbish highlighted, is now “309 points away from passing Kobe Bryant on the all-time points list,” which would place him third, with then only Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at no. 2 and no.1.

Here was what James had to say in regards to potentially breaking the all-time points record, as transcribed by Reynolds.

"“I would be lying if I said I don’t see it,” James said. “Obviously I’m not trying to say, ‘OK, well if I play this amount of time, if I average this’ … I’m not doing that because I’ve never done that with my career.  I’ve always just kind of let it happen. Whatever happens, happens. But I see it. I do see it.”"

Again, fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, given that we have such an appreciation and connection to LeBron, with him being from nearby Akron, are so grateful for all the King has done in his career.

Anyway, him being named the AP Top Male Athlete of the Decade was anything but shocking, and I believe he has plenty left in the tank.

As for a potential third stint with the Wine and Gold perhaps alongside his son, Bronny, down the road?

Never say never, folks. For reference, the AP would name one of the best tennis players, ever, Serena Williams, as the Female Athlete of the Decade, which was far from a surprise.