Truly one of a kind
LeBron James still playing at the highest level
The NBA has never seen somebody like LeBron James, a superstar from the day he set foot in the league straight out of high school and still a Top 5 player all these years later.
James ranks third in the league in scoring, second in assists, win shares and box plus/minus, third in player efficiency rating and first in value over replacement player. All at the age of 33, while some of his contemporaries are 10 years younger (like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Jokic who also rank in the Top 10 of value over replacement player).
James recently became the oldest player to ever total 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a season and he also holds the mark for being the youngest player to put up those numbers, doing so at age 20 in 2004-05.
According to basketball-reference.com James, has the highest value over replacement player of players in their age 32 and 33 seasons, only Michael Jordan had a higher player efficiency rating and James ranks near the top in many categories. He just passed 2,000 points for the season for the 10th time. Only Karl Malone (12) and Jordan (11) have done it more and James isn’t close to finished yet.
At times earlier this season, James was frustrated and coasted a bit, especially on defence. Those days are gone.
— Ryan Wolstat