“LeBron James truly built different”: Unreal stat shows how the Lakers star is above his competition as an all-time small forward playmaker

Lakers star forward LeBron James is undoubtedly one of the best playmakers in NBA history, as he demonstrated countless times.

There are not many things in basketball which Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James can’t do. The forward has been the face of the NBA for sometime now and therefore he rightfully holds the nickname of ‘King’.

There are a lot of aspects in his game that makes him the player he is today. Although his size and athleticism make him a perfect forward, it is his exemplary vision and playmaking skills which keeps him a cut above the competition. He is without a doubt one of the best playmakers in the league.

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James has predominantly played as a forward throughout his career but he has always been up in the assists charts alongwith the other point guards in the NBA. The duty of handling the offense mostly falls on his shoulders as James is a player who immediately elevates the level of his supporting cast around him.

LeBron James has the 5 most prolific playmaking seasons ever for a small forward

King LeBron probably has the best basketball IQ which allows him to pick great passes and find teammates in great positions to take shots. Therefore a lot of people feel that he can play till his 40s only based on his elite passing and vision.

Therefore it is not a shocker for anyone that the Lakers star has had the five highest assists per game averages as a small forward in NBA history. These stats include his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers when he averaged 8.3 assists per game in 2018-19.

Followed by the 2009-10 season when he averaged 8.6 assists per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers and then he took it a notch higher with 8.7 assists per game in the 2016-17 season.

While a lot of people thought that it would be his highest, King proved them wrong with 9.1 assists per game during the 2017-18 season. However, topped everything with 10.2 assists per game in the 2019-20 season where he led the Purple and Gold army to the NBA title.

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His career assists per game average is at 7.4which is a cut above the rest of the elite passing forwards like Larry Bird (6.3 APG), Kevin Durant (5.3 APG), Grant Hill (7.3 APG in his prime), or Scottie Pippen (5.2 APG). Hence his role is best identified as a ‘Point Forward’.

Coming to this season, the Lakers desperately need their talisman to return from injury as Frank Vogel’s men are heading towards a clash against Steph Curry’s Warriors in the new play-in tournament.