When you look at the past NBA players who have donned us with their amazing talent, you’ll notice that their fifteenth season was just a season with no highlights, no remarkable moments or anything dazzling. Not only do athletes past thirty years of age have signs of slowing down but they aren’t the same hot-headed players they once were. All this goes for most NBA players…certainly doesn’t go for LeBron James.
Most critics in fact all the critics the NBA media can ever assemble will tell you what I’m telling you right now, that LeBron is having the best season of his career and the man is only 33. He may be past his “prime” but when you look at LeBron perform this season you’ll soon question yourself if this is LeBron’s true prime. He’s just proving to everyone that he is indeed the King…even though we should’ve paid attention to him saying there’s nothing more he has to prove.
From his early days in Cleveland to his reign in Miami and back to his hometown, LeBron has been evolving into a player that some regard as the “perfect player”. Now let’s be realistic, nobody on this planet is close to being perfect but on the court, within the baseline, LeBron rules all little lines and details of basketball. Many LeBron Haters will disagree and try throw in names like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook but those names have no impact the way LeBron does…okay with Steph, an argument can be made and that will be done later but for now, we have to focus on the King.
But, what is it about this fifteenth season LeBron that makes him better than the 2007 Finals LeBron and the 2013 Miami Heat LeBron? Simple, consistency and experience. This LeBron is literally putting his cards on the table, showing us just how much of a winner he is and he hasn’t even shown his full deck. Honestly speaking, this LeBron deserves another ring, another championship to his name and what could really stand in his way of cementing his possibly MVP season? Other than the Golden State Warriors but it’s the reality of facing the Warriors with a team that has less firepower than the Warriors. But…BUT…LeBron has what it takes (once again) to carry the Cavs back to The Finals.
Speaking of MVP, the King is in talks for the MVP award. Sure, James Harden is the main talk of the MVP conversations but LeBron is the main and possibly only contender that stands in the way of Harden claiming his first ever MVP award. It’s not fair to have the best player in the world as a contender of an award that he can win once again with ease but this is LeBron James we’re talking about, this is the LeBron in his fifteenth season who is showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down. He’s averaging 28.2 points per game, 8.6 assists per game and 8 rebounds per game and surely those numbers will only increase.
Whether you love him, like him or hate him, you have to respect the hustle, the grit and the wisdom of King James because in this modern era, we are fortunate to witness a player of LeBron’s stature and talent and you will have to admit that LeBron (after Kobe) is the greatest basketball player…of this generation. Perhaps it’s too late for LeBron to be “chasing ghosts” (Michael Jordan) but this LeBron that we’re seeing is just making it hard for us to keep his name out of the Jordan-Kobe conversations. LeBron James is definitely a Once In A Lifetime player…especially seeing how his fifteenth season is his greatest yet.
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The Baseline 