Getty Lakers star LeBron James
A two-time MVP and NBA champion went off about Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during an interview with SirusXM NBA Radio.
While talking about what it takes to be great in the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo said being skilled isn’t enough. The six-time All-Star touched on how being consistent is important and James was the first player he thought of.
“It takes more than skills to be great,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s what people don’t understand. You can be the most skillful person on Earth, still don’t make the NBA. The NBA is not about skills. It takes way more to be. Consistency. LeBron James, 20 years in the league. When you think about LeBron, you think about consistency. He’s been great for 20 years.”
James entered the NBA in 2003 as the No. 1 overall pick with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was called the “Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated and had immense pressure and expectations placed upon his shoulders as a teenager.
However, somehow, James has been able to exceed those grand expectations.
LeBron Is Arguably the GOAT
James is arguably the greatest player in NBA history. He has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists with the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers and is the only player to rank top-10 all-time in both points and assists.
After leading the Lakers to the 2020 title over the Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble, James became the only player in NBA history to win three Finals MVPs with three different teams. He’s set to pass Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the leading scorer in league history this season, a feat neither Michael Jordan nor Kobe Bryant could achieve.
Last season, James became the lone player to record 10,000+ points, 10,000+ rebounds and 10,000+ assists. The King also received the 18th consecutive All-NBA honor of his career and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
James is second in NBA history in points, seventh in assists, 11th in steals, fifth in triple-doubles, second in player efficiency rating and fifth in points per game entering this season. He’s a four-time MVP, four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP. LBJ has nothing left to prove in the NBA. However, he’s still hungry to win more titles.
LeBron Wants to Win More Rings
James is two titles and two Finals MVPs away from tying Jordan, his childhood idol. The future Hall of Famer told reporters in April that he’s highly motivated to win more championships despite already having four rings.
“I came here to win a championship. I want to win more,” James said. “So I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, but I’m still hungry for more. … I’m confident that this organization wants the same. It’s what this organization has always been about.”
James, who turns 38 in December, signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers in August. The extension made the Akron Hammer the highest-earning player in NBA history with $532 million in guaranteed money. James has played in 223 out of a possible 307 regular-season games since joining the Lakers in 2018, averaging 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists.