No player in NBA history has done more with less than LeBron James. That much was clear in Game 7 last Sunday night, as LeBron’s 35 point, 15 rebound performance allowed his Cleveland Cavaliers — with no Kevin Love and essentially no help from the “other Cavaliers” with the exception of Jeff Green — to overcome an early 12-point deficit in a thunderous road atmosphere at the TD Garden to ultimately defeat the Celtics.
Some are suggesting that this latest Finals trip for LeBron — his eighth consecutive — may be the greatest accomplishment of his distinguished career. But I disagree. We’ve seen him come through on bigger stages (i.e. Game 7 in the 2013 Finals vs San Antonio, when he put up 37 points and 12 rebounds) while facing more improbable odds (i.e. coming back from down 3 games to 1 against Golden State in 2016). We’ve also seen King James reach even higher levels of dominance (i.e. Game 5 of the 2007 ECF against Detroit, when he scored the Cavaliers’ final 25 points to win in double overtime, or Game 6 of the 2012 ECF against Boston, when he dropped 45).
Nonetheless, LeBron’s heroics this postseason, which includes multiple buzzer-beaters and two sensational performances in Games 6 & 7 while facing elimination against the Celtics, add further evidence as to why James is undoubtedly the most valuable player in NBA history.
Notice how I say valuable. Having a debate as to which player is the most valuable in NBA history is different than those often-discussed “greatest ever” debates. Those commonly recycled conversations you’ll find on most morning sports shows are full of too many contradictions, such as how NBA Finals records seem to be the deciding factor when comparing James and Michael Jordan, the player deemed by many as “the G.O.A.T.” Yet if we were essentially ranking players based on title count, wouldn’t that put LeBron, who by all accounts is at least in the top three of everyone’s “greatest ever” rankings, behind the likes of Kobe Bryant (5 titles), Tim Duncan (5), and Shaquille O’Neal (4)?
For this reason, I prefer to have a discussion as to why LeBron James is the most valuable player in NBA history. The evidence, after all, is irrefutable.
I’ve already mentioned how no player has done more with less than LeBron. This postseason has arguably been the greatest testament to that statement, as Saturday Night Live hilariously highlighted a few weeks ago in its skit about the “other Cavaliers.” Of course, we can’t forget about LeBron’s first trip to the Finals, when he was equipped with players like…Zydrunas Ilgauskas…Drew Gooden…and Boobie Gibson. Nor should we sleep on how LeBron almost single-handily put a scare into the Warriors in the 2015 Finals after both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were lost to injuries.
Granted, LeBron has certainly had his fair share of help at various times in his career, particularly when he was with Miami alongside future Hall of Famers like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh (side note: did you know Bosh is an 11-time All-Star?), and Ray Allen. But every other player in the Mount Rushmore discussion consistently played with far more Hall of Fame talent. Larry Bird, for instance, was surrounded by at least three Hall of Famers (Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and Dennis Johnson) for his whole career. Same goes for Magic Johnson, who had either Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or James Worthy as a sidekick for twelve of his thirteen seasons.
Michael Jordan, you ask? Well, you’re probably familiar with Hall of Famers like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. But did you know that until Pippen arrived in Chicago in 1987, MJ’s playoff record was 1-9. I repeat: 1-9! In other words, Jordan never took a team devoid of top-flight supporting talent on a deep playoff run. LeBron, in contrast, has now done so multiple times.
No one has done more with less when it has mattered most, either. For starters, just look at what LeBron has been doing this postseason, as he is averaging 34.0 points per game (2nd most of his playoff career) on over 54% shooting along with 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists. What’s more impressive, though, is how great James has played in elimination games. Since 2012, for instance, LeBron’s teams have been on the brink of elimination fifteen times — and in those fifteen games, LeBron’s teams are 12-3 and the King has averaged 36.4 points with nearly 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Not even Jordan could match that sort of all-around production.
But the most valuable player in NBA history debate extends beyond what LeBron has achieved in recent years. The fact is this: LeBron James has transformed multiple franchises unlike any player ever — and all the evidence you need is to look at what has happened when James has changed teams. The Cavaliers, for instance, went from averaging 55.5 wins with LeBron from 2006-09 to a meager 24.3 wins over their following four non-LeBron seasons. In other words, they went from being a Finals contender to the worst team in the NBA!
Of course, since LeBron returned, Cleveland has won the Eastern Conference every year since 2015. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat, who despite having Dwyane Wade had not won a playoff series in four years before LeBron turned them into a mini-dynasty, have averaged only 42.5 wins after LeBron decided to return to Northeast Ohio. Taken together, it’s clear that regardless of his supporting cast, James is so valuable that his mere presence is enough for a lottery-level team to consistently contend for championships.
The same simply cannot be said, however, for Michael Jordan. As mentioned previously, Jordan’s Bulls did not begin contending for titles until players like Pippen arrived. What’s more surprising, though, is how Chicago had a negligible regression after Jordan’s first retirement in 1993. Sure, the Bulls did not win the championship during Jordan’s one-year absence (remember: Jordan did not miss the entire 1994-95 campaign, as he returned late in the season only for his Bulls to lose to the Orlando Magic in the conference semifinals). But Chicago’s regular season record went from 57-25 with Jordan in ’93 to…55-27 without him in ’94. Take LeBron off some of the Cavaliers squads he has played on, though, and Cleveland would be no different than teams like the Sacramento Kings or Charlotte Hornets.
Nonetheless, it will be another uphill battle for LeBron’s Cavaliers as they prepare to battle Golden State for a fourth consecutive year. And in two weeks, LeBron’s critics will likely be armed with further ammunition to debunk James’ greatness once his Finals records drops to 3-6. But regardless of whether his disappointing Finals record disqualifies him from being considered the “greatest” player of all-time in many people’s eyes, LeBron’s latest success is further proof that he is unparalleled with respect to the value he has consistently delivered throughout his fifteen-year career.
G.O.A.T. argument be damned: LeBron James is, at a minimum, the most valuable player in basketball history.
Great article Mando. Agreed! He is a beast of a player. Statically, it will take a long time for someone to match up to this awesome ball handler.