Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
There may not be a player in NBA history that has been as consistently dominant as LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers star has truly never had a bad season. Despite having to deal with a serious injury this year, LeBron still put together a strong season and would’ve been an MVP candidate had he not missed so much time.
In the last game of the season, he was able to ensure that he averaged 25 points a game for a 17th straight season. No other player has more than 12 seasons of averaging over 25 points. LeBron isn’t the first player to come to mind when you think of elite scorers but he may go down as the most prolific scorer in NBA history. He is acutely aware of the fact that he’s not known for scoring. After the news dropped that he averaged 25 points a game over a season again, LeBron suggested that he’s “never mentioned with the greats of scoring” because he’s a “pass first guy.”
Since I was 19 years old! And I’m a pass first guy. Always been. That’s why I’m never mentioned with the greats of scoring huh?? That’s perfect cause I’d rather keep it that way! 😁. #ThekidfromAKRON🤴🏾 #SFG🚀 #JamesGang👑 #Blessed🙏🏾
This certainly is one of the most impressive feats in NBA history. LeBron gets dogged on quite a bit but there’s no denying the fact that he’s one of the greatest to ever play.
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ESPN Drops Promising LeBron Injury Update
There’s been a lot of concern surrounding LeBron’s recent injury issues this season. He was sidelined with an ankle sprain for several weeks and when he tried to return, he was forced to miss more games. He came back for the Lakers’ last two games and looked a lot better. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, LeBron “expects to be as close to 100 percent as he can be.”
That’s very good news for Los Angeles as they can’t expect to make a very deep playoff run if their best player isn’t healthy. In years past, LeBron getting banged up wouldn’t be too much of a concern. However, he’s 36-years-old now and his body isn’t as quick to heal.
LeBron Talks Injury
The most frustrating thing about LeBron’s injury is that it was likely avoidable. He suffered his injury back in March against the Atlanta Hawks when Solomon Hill dove at his ankle. That freak play cost LeBron a possible MVP trophy and he’s clearly still irked by it.
“It’s been hard to tackle it. I was playing some of the best basketball of my career before the injury,” LeBron said after Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans. “It was not a self-inflicted wound or something I could control. It wasn’t like I wasn’t putting in the work and then my body failed me. I literally had a grown man diving at my leg for a loose ball.
“I had to pay the price of that and take my time to get my ankle to where it is today where I’m able to be back on the floor. It cost me seven weeks of the season that I still think back on and hate it. I’m still not comfortable with it.”
Though his regular season was derailed, he’s fortunate that he can be back in time for the playoffs.
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