Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James clapped back at his haters who claim he doesn’t have any “skill” and gets by purely based off his strength and athleticism.
James’ incredible athleticism has certainly proven to be advantageous throughout his NBA career. Perhaps the most iconic moment of his career — when he blocked Andre Iguodala late in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals — couldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the 39-year-old’s leaping ability.
But while James is certainly a gifted athlete, he has long been able to contribute in areas of the game that aren’t necessarily predicated on athleticism.
It doesn’t take brute strength to be a great playmaker, and James is one of the best facilitators in the history of the NBA. He averaged a league-high 10.2 assists during the 2019-20 campaign and is fresh off a season where he dished out 8.3 assists per game.
Furthermore, James has 11,009 career assists to his name in the regular season, which ranks as the fourth-most of any player to ever play in the league. Only Chris Paul — whose NBA career is still going strong — Jason Kidd and John Stockton have racked up more regular-season assists.
On top of his playmaking chops, James also was a very effective 3-point shooter during the 2023-24 regular season. He shot a career-high 41.0 percent from 3-point range on solid volume as well, considering he attempted 5.1 3s per contest.
James shot far above his career average from deep last season, as he is a career 34.8 percent 3-point shooter, which is still a respectable mark.
The forward may need to rely on his 3-point shooting chops to put the ball through the net more than ever in the upcoming 2024-25 season. James is the NBA’s oldest player. He will turn 40 years old in December and has debatably lost a step compared to when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat earlier on in his pro career.
