The argument over who the best player in the NBA is seems to change slightly every year.
However, one player that has been consistently near the top of that list since entering the league has been Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Prior to the 2019-20 season, many believed that time was finally catching up with James. In response, James put up some of the best numbers of his career.
Because of that, Boston Celtics rising star Jayson Tatum recently defended James as the best player in the league currently.
Jayson Tatum on James Harden: “James Harden should have won MVP last year…He definitely should have won back-to-back MVPs.” #Rockets https://t.co/OuTVFFYT9G
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) April 8, 2020
“Bro we talking ’bout the second greatest player of all time, and KD is like the 11th (Kevin Durant),” said Tatum.
“LeBron the best, he the best player bro. He the best player till he no longer the best, like he got it. KD number two, Kawhi [Leonard] number three.”
Tatum has seen James’ greatness firsthand on a number of different occasions. Perhaps the most impressive was during the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, when James seemingly willed his Cleveland Cavaliers past Tatum and the Celtics.
In Game 7 of that series, James finished the night with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. He also played in all 48 minutes of that pivotal matchup.
Since then, James has continued to prove that age does not determine his greatness. As a perfect example of that, James is currently challenging Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the MVP award despite being 10 years his senior.
It’s possible that all James truly needs to convince his doubters that he is still the very best is for the NBA to return. A championship win this season by the Lakers would go a long way in proving that James is very far away from giving up the crown.
