Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas recently claimed that Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James is the only superstar who hasn’t chased stats at some point in his career.
“I said, ‘LeBron is probably the only player, the only superstar that never had that year,'” Arenas explained. “He never had that year where he says, ‘Eh, frick everybody. I’m trying to get my stats.’ Because I said, ‘If he ever did that, who’s stopping him?’ That man would average 40-something. … When LeBron stepped in, it was all about trying to win a championship. Every year, trying to win a championship, so he’s been building the teams to try to win championships, so he’s never actually had a selfish year where he says, ‘I don’t need anybody. I want to show the world what I can do.'”
It’s a really interesting point, and it’s one that many James fans have surely made in the past. A similar argument that’s been made throughout James’ storied career has been that if his ultimate goal were to win MVP awards, he’d be able to do so every season.
James has won four league MVP awards in his career, though he was absolutely the best player in the league for many of the seasons in which he did not win.
Now, at 37 years old, James is more committed than ever to winning championships. The last time he won a title was back in 2020 with the Lakers. Since then, the team has been mediocre at best.
The hope is that the franchise will be able to turn things around this offseason and head into the 2022-23 campaign with a rejuvenated roster. If James and superstar teammate Anthony Davis can remain healthy, there is no telling what the team’s ceiling will be.
One thing fans can be sure of is that James won’t be chasing stats. He’ll be too busy chasing a title.
