Former NBA player and current analyst Richard Jefferson delivered an interesting response when asked if LeBron James is the best player in the NBA.
Jefferson, who played with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, doesn’t believe that James or Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry is the best player in the league right now.
The one-time NBA champion mentioned players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid as the best in the league right now.
“Neither of those f—— are the best,” Jefferson said. “There’s guys that are far better than both of them. Maybe not far, but you would go Giannis, Jokic, Embiid. It all depends on season.
“Who’s a better player right now? Well look, LeBron James is still a force, but he’s been balling, and his team keeps losing. So, these guys are old. These guys are dated. These guys are so like five years ago.”
Jefferson won a title with James in 2016, but he clearly doesn’t think that the Lakers star is at the same level he was a few years ago. James still had a fantastic season during the 2021-22 campaign, but the Lakers had a miserable season as a whole and failed to make the playoffs.
During the 2021-22 campaign, James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc. He and the Lakers hobbled their way to a 33-49 record and the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference.
Even though Jokic, Embiid and Antetokounmpo led their teams to the playoffs and are MVP candidates this season, there’s no doubt that James is still a dominant force in the NBA.
James and the Lakers are surely hoping to make things right and have a deep playoff run next season. L.A. is now looking for a new head coach after firing Frank Vogel.
