Ever since he burst onto the scene in the NBA, LeBron James has set about carving a legacy that now ranks him among the greatest players of all-time. The Los Angeles Lakers star has enjoyed a legendary career that has now spanned over two decades, with 'King James' still going strong despite being aged 40.
A multiple-time champion and MVP of the league, James is one of the few players to have won the NBA title with three different franchises, doing so with the Miami Heat, his hometown side Cleveland Cavaliers, and most recently the Lakers. While Michael Jordan may be considered the GOAT, there are some NBA legends who don't think that, instead opting to go with James, and when you look at what he has accomplished, you can see exactly why.
LeBron James' Career Stats
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Points per game
Assists per game
Rebounds per game
Steals per game
Blocks per game
Career awards
NBA titles
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LeBron James might be in his 40s, but he is still one of the greatest basketball players in the world.
But when asked to name his three greatest players of all-time, LeBron could only name one player with conviction, before naming two more and then asking whether he could add another player to his list. Find out below who features in James' list of the four best basketball players in NBA history.
Michael Jordan
When it came to naming his list of the greatest basketball players of all-time, James had absolutely no hesitation in saying Michael Jordan's name first. Jordan's resume quite simply speaks for itself, and was about as dominant a player as you can find in NBA history. The Chicago Bulls legend was a nightmare to guard, and impossible to stop in the clutch, hitting big shot after big shot, time after time.
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A haul of six NBA titles and five MVPs only cemented his legacy as the sport's GOAT, and while LeBron himself has come extremely close - if not surpassing him in the eyes of some of his fans - Jordan's hold on the league during the 1990s has arguably never been seen before by a player.
|Michael Jordan's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|30.1|
|Assists per game|5.3|
|Rebounds per game|6.2|
|Steals per game|2.3|
|Blocks per game|0.8|
|Career awards|5x MVP, 6x Finals MVP, 14x All-Star, 10x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 1x DPOY, 9x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1x ROTY|
|NBA titles|6|
|---|
Larry Bird
One of the greatest players in Boston Celtics history, Larry Bird could back up all the trash talking he would dish out to his opponents. Whether it was heading into the three-point contest and asking the locker room who was finishing second behind him, or going up against a fading Julius Erving and asking Charles Barkley to get the old man off him, Larry Legend was a supreme competitor who led by example.
His rivalry with Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s is legendary, and even during an era with real physicality, he could find a way to get the job done no matter the opposition. A three-time NBA MVP, it's no surprise James has him on his list of the greatest of all-time.
Larry Bird's Career Stats
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Points per game
Assists per game
Rebounds per game
Steals per game
Blocks per game
Career awards
NBA titles
Julius Erving
One of the best scorers in NBA history, Julius Erving's high-flying and athleticism was ahead of its time. Able to dunk the ball in emphatic fashion and in a variety of styles and ways, Dr J would amass over 30,000 points across both the ABA and the NBA in his career as a basketball player. With the distinction of being able to call himself an MVP of both leagues, Erving's legacy is cemented.
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James' inclusion of him in his four greatest basketball players of all-time list is intriguing given what the 76ers icon has previously said about the Lakers star.
My first team is Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Elgin Baylor. That second team is Magic, Michael, Larry, Karl Malone Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Those guys would be my second team, and a lot of people would argue that guys like LeBron would be on my third team.
When you look at LeBron and everybody, that sort of pick to be his teammates, so you know, playing with so many guys. He is the guy that led the charge in terms of superteams being put together. When he put a team together in Miami, he put a team together in Cleveland as well and a team in Los Angeles. So he could pick his own team.
Julius Erving's Career Stats
Stat
Points per game
Assists per game
Rebounds per game
Steals per game
Blocks per game
Career awards
NBA/ABA Titles
Magic Johnson
The point guard who helped revolutionise the position with his speed, height and skill, Magic Johnson's incredible ability to lead and facilitate for the Showtime Lakers during the 1980s was magical to see. Capable of playing the flashy pass, or scoring himself, Johnson always did whatever his team needed - whether that was deferring to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and feeding the big man in the post, or eventually taking on the scoring mantle himself.
Averaging almost 20 points per game over his career, and well over 10 assists too, Johnson's status as the best point guard to ever play the game is pretty much secured. Indeed, his rebounding skills and numbers - 7.2 per game - are second-to-none for a player in his position, with arguably only Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson being comparable in that matter.
Magic Johnson's Career Stats
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Points per game
Assists per game
Rebounds per game
Steals per game
Blocks per game
Career awards
NBA titles