LeBron James’ Unique Case for Most Valuable Player of All-Time

Nov 23, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) brings the ball up the court against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Delta Center.

LeBron James has reached that stage in his career where he’s at the top of pretty much every list the NBA compiles, and although there are metrics where he’s lagging behind, collectively, all signs point towards the fact that he is indeed the GOAT.

The award that decides who the best player over the course of a particular season is, the MVP, is decided by handing out points, and James has the most of all players in history. In the list, he’s above icons like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant.

James has 10,494 points, which is a gargantuan figure when compared to Jordan, who is second with 7,957. The funny thing, however, is that others on the list have, in some ways, won and achieved more than LeBron has.

Jordan for instance, has five regular season MVP awards. Abdul-Jabbar has six. James? Just four.

Plus, James has won just four NBA Championships, compared to MJ’s six, Abdul-Jabbar’s six, and Duncan’s five. Bryant too, has one more championship than The King, which comes to show that there are a horde of legends who have tasted more Finals success than James, the man with the most NBA MVP points.

It’s a clear indication that points alone cannot decide the undisputed most valuable player of all time. James certainly has a case, with his two-decade career boasting accolades that everyone dreams of. He’s been an All-Star twenty one times, a part of the All-NBA First team 13 times, and also has four Finals MVPs to his name.

That said, the real reason he’s on top of the MVP points list is his longevity and consistency, which is something James is clearly the undisputed best at. He’s been in the league 23 years, and has played at a top level throughout. Even at the age of 40 — although he’s been nursing sciatica issues recently — he’s leaving audiences stunned.

So, James has always gotten a bunch of points in the MVP voting every season. Even in 2024-25, he finished sixth in the final MVP ladder.

The last time James was truly in the running to win an MVP title was in 2020, when the Los Angeles Lakers were on their way to winning the Championship. He finished second to Giannis Antetokounmpo, ultimately, and wasn’t happy about it. At the same time, he admitted in an interview that he wasn’t in the league to chase trophies like the MVP.

“I never came into this league to be MVP or to be a champion. I’ve always just wanted to get better and better every single day, and those things will take care of itself,” the former Cleveland-man said.

It doesn’t look like he’ll get the chance to finish as the NBA’s best player again, with his retirement looming. But if he can hang up his shoes with another championship, that does do his claim of being the GOAT a world of favor.

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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