The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t had LeBron James available for every game this season — they’ve sat him out for one game in back-to-backs to keep him fresh at 41 years old.
But when the King has been on the floor, he’s continued to be a quality performer for the 76ers.
That remained true on Monday night in a win over the Chicago Bulls. James finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
It’s the kind of well-rounded stats that James has been putting up all year. He might not be reaching the high-end outputs of his past, but he’s still averaging 16.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists when he plays.
One stat stands out more than that for James, though — one that he’s leading the entire NBA in.
LeBron James’ League-Leading Stat
King James is leading the NBA in opponent field goal percentage.
While being the primary defender, James is allowing his matchup to shoot just 28.1% this season.
Real Sports shared that stat on X after the 76ers beat the Bulls:
LeBron James this season:
16.2 PPG
7.0 RPG
7.3 APG
2.3 STL + BLKWhile holding opponents to the lowest FG% in the entire NBA (28.1%) 🔒 https://t.co/p8v4mQdzDI
— Real App (@realapp) November 3, 2026
It’s worth acknowledging that that is a stat that can have a lot of statistical noise early in the season. The sample size just isn’t that big. It can be the case of cold shooting as much as it can have to do with the defender.
The 76ers also don’t have to use LeBron in a high-octane defensive matchup. They’ve got other players who can handle that.
With all that being said, James clearly is doing something right to lead the league in this stat. The credit may not all belong to him, but it’s not nothing.
James has always been able to make splash plays as a defender — impressive blocks and steals. A level of consistent excellence simply in playing good possession-to-possession defense is less glamorous, but it’s clear James is capable of doing that, too.
76ers’ Rest Concerns
The 76ers have rested both James and Joel Embiid at various points already this season, and it’ll be that variation in rhythms that has the most chance of derailing this Philadelphia season.
When these players are able to be on the floor together, they’re a special group. That’s in part why James has already felt so comfortable playmaking with this new teammates. The high-end talent is obvious.
James may be 41, but he’s still one of the best — and most intelligent — basketball players on the planet.
Keep an eye on what he does defensively going forward. It’s a huge positive impact so far at that end for the 76ers, and they’re clearly glad to have LeBron on their team.
76ers’ LeBron James Leads NBA in Unexpected Stat