Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green paid some major respect to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, giving him the title as the best face of the NBA that the league has ever had.
Green issued the compliment after praising James for his amazing birthday performance in his 20th season in the league.
“I take my hat off to LeBron,” Green said. “For what he’s done, for what he’s doing, on and off the court, there’s never been a better face of the NBA, and I’m not sure there ever will be a better face of the NBA.”
It’s hard to argue with Green’s sentiment, as James has been an unbelievable talent on the floor while also doing many things for his community, such as his I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, to help make the world a better place.
James is widely considered to be one of the greatest players ever and usually in the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) conversation alongside Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
A four-time champion and 18-time All-Star, James has accomplished about as much as anyone who has ever played in the NBA. He’s won four NBA Finals MVPs, four regular season MVPs, one scoring title and been named to 18 All-NBA teams.
This season, James is on pace to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record for the most points scored in NBA history.
That would be an unbelievable accomplishment, and Green clearly is paying homage to James while he’s still at the top of his game. It’s amazing that James is still able to play at such a high level in his 20th professional season.
The Lakers star is averaging 29.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from beyond the arc this season. While the team is in the No. 12 spot in the West, the Lakers would be much worse if they didn’t have James carrying them on a nightly basis.
Green and James have had some epic battles against each other, especially in the four consecutive times they met in the NBA Finals during James’ second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s clear that Green has developed an immense respect for his competitor, and he’s right to give James so much love for all that he has done for the game of basketball.
James and Green could meet in the playoffs this season if the Lakers and Warriors find themselves in the final postseason field in the West.
