The LA Lakers may be huffing and puffing their way to a play-in tournament berth, but LeBron James is as imperious as ever.
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Since starting at the 5 spot for the Lakers, LeBron has been playing like a man possessed. We’ve seen him boss games without really pushing his dominance in the past. But at 37 years of age and surrounded by a misfit roster of players, LeBron James is carrying at a historic rate.
His 28.6 ppg average would be second in the league if we were to stop play today. He leads leading MVP candidate Stephen Curry by a full point while shooting better from the 3-point line.
If MVP voting wasn’t based on team results and media-manufactured narratives, LeBron would squarely be top 3. But since he’s taking Ls on such a bad roster, there’s little to no love for the 4-time MVP.
Despite all of this, LeBron turned in what can only be regarded as a Player of the Month-worthy month of December 2021. His averages across the board are all consistent with his playoff numbers. The Lakers, however, look increasingly like first-round fodder as the season goes on.
LeBron James reenters the record books with yet another bonkers stat line
There’s one record that LeBron James has set that should really restart GOAT debates in some circles. Averaging 25 points per game in the NBA is about the toughest possible feat in the sport.
But there isn’t much that LeBron is incapable of doing on a basketball court. He’s going to reenter the record books this season with a scoring feat that can only be described as GOATed. James will be the oldest player to average 25+ if he finishes the season at this scoring pace.
I’ve often said in the past that the MVP award really should be renamed to the LeBron James Award of Excellence. I was unable to watch Michael Jordan play, but it seems clear that LeBron is bringing a level of play nightly in year 19 that we would’ve never thought possible.
