Sports analyst Bill Simmons recently spoke about Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, and it sounds like Simmons is of the mindset that James isn’t the player he used to be.
In fact, Simmons said that he thinks it would be crazy to still consider James to be on the same level as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant.
A Reddit user pointed out Simmons’ strong opinion.
“I think he’s one of the best 10 players,” Simmons said. “I wouldn’t say he’s in the top two. I think that would be crazy to think he’s still on the Giannis/Durant level. I don’t see it. … Put it this way: Could he have done what Durant did on that Brooklyn team last year? I don’t think so. In that, when everybody got hurt, could he have carried them the way Durant did? I don’t think so. Could he have done what Giannis did in those last two-and-a-half rounds? I don’t think so.”
James is entering his 19th season at the NBA level, and there’s no doubt that he’s still an elite player. However, many folks have different opinions about where he ranks in the NBA at this stage of his career.
Regardless, the 36-year-old has his sights set on winning another NBA title in the 2021-22 season. He already has four rings to his name, and he’s looking for a fifth.
The 17-time All-Star averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game last season. It was a solid campaign for him despite some health issues.
James and the Lakers have a very talented roster, and the team wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than a championship in the 2021-22 season. If L.A. wins it all, perhaps Simmons and fans will reconsider where James ranks in today’s NBA.
