At 35 years old, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James still considers himself to be the best basketball player in the world.
According to the three-time champ, that status is not just based on what he does on the court, but also what he does off of it. He said as much after a recent team practice.
Lebron after practice talking about how he approaches the game. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/fnjIWoZ1Cz
— Jas Kang (@jaskang21) March 5, 2020
“It’s so much more, for me being the best player in the world, than just going out and doing it on the floor,” he said. “I think leadership has a lot to do with, having a command, holding yourself accountable, allowing others to hold you accountable, as well. I have a lot of tiers to trying to be the best player in the world. It’s not just about basketball all the time.”
Considering the fact that James has dominated the basketball world for much of the last two decades, he might be the most qualified person to actually define what it means to be the best player in the world.
Even if that title was solely based on production on the court, James would still have a fairly strong claim. He has he helped lead the Lakers to one of the best records in the NBA this season.
He is also performing incredibly well on an individual level. So far this season, James has averaged 25.4 points, 10.7 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Night in and night out, James is continuing to prove that NBA stars can remain dominant deep into their 30s.
Though there are many great players currently in the NBA, James is certainly one of, if not, the best amongst them all.
Still, in order to truly lay claim to that title, he’ll have to win on the NBA’s biggest stage.
If James can lead the Lakers to an NBA title by the end of this season, there will be little doubt regarding his status as the best basketball player in the world.
