LeBron James and Chris Paul are on pace to repeat a specific achievement for the second time in their career together.
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37-year old LeBron James is making a strong case for MVP this season. In a huge win over Portland Trail Blazers last night, he had 43 points and 14 rebounds in just 29 minutes. His longevity is talked about all the time as he continues to dominate even in his 19th season.
Chris Paul however sometimes gets overshadowed. Although CP3’s offense has regressed with time, he is still the point god. In addition, the Phoenix Suns have shown massive improvement since his arrival. The 36-year old is proving to be an integral part of the Suns’ revival. They are title favorites this season.
The Lakers on the other hand are struggling to even stay in the play-in territory at times. Although LeBron blames Covid and injuries for their seed, they weren’t too good prior to that. Given their present standing, the Lakers and Suns are highly likely to face each other in the playoffs yet again.
LeBron James and Chris Paul could repeat a historic moment after 14 years this season
In 2008, a year after LeBron took the Cavaliers to the NBA finals, he led the league in scoring. He was an absolute beast that season, averaging 7.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists along with it. It was a career-high in point per game for the King.
He lost the MVP to Kobe Bryant who led the Lakers to the top seed in the west even though LeBron had better numbers in almost every category. That season Chris Paul led the league in assists per game with 11.6, a career-high for him as well. He was in his third year with the New Orleans Hornets. It was also the first time he made the playoffs but fell short to the Spurs in the second round.
After 14 years, LeBron James and CP3 are in a position to recreate a historic moment like that. Some players don’t last 14 years in the NBA while they are still playing at such a high level.
Currently, LeBron is averaging 28 points a game, but lately, he has been dropping 30 each night and averages are only going up. Whereas Chris Paul has tied James Harden for the highest assists per game with 9.8. Although it is too soon to say whether they will repeat that feat, fans will continue to hope they do.