The ability of LeBron James to adapt fast to the requirements of the league has made him one of the greatest of all time. One of the biggest adjustments to his gameplay over the years has been his ability to score from deep. Interestingly, Erik Spoelstra shed light on that part of his game more than a decade back, revealing the prowess of the small forward.
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In the 2013 All-Star media availability session, he gave insights into how LeBron used to engage in a shooting contest with Ray Allen. During the 4x champion’s stint with the Miami Heat, he used to work on his half-court shooting. One such instance took place in the team’s China tour as the duo went against each other before an open practice session.
Coach Spo shared his observations from the battle during the All-Star event as he compared the jump shots of the Heat’s star players. “Ray has got deep, deep range too but he was straining just a little bit,” the head coach stated upon reflecting on that occasion. “LeBron’s shot looks normal from half-court. He is that strong. He is able to shoot a jump shot in the same form he has when he is at 20 feet” Erik mentioned while highlighting the difference.
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At that time, the 19x All-Star was not an established scorer from the deep as he used to rely mostly on his pace, power, and intelligence. Yet, with the evolution of the game, James was able to bring out that side of him whenever required. Thus, the comparisons between him and an established three-point scorer like Ray started to make sense with time.
How good is LeBron James as a three-point scorer?
Because of aging, LeBron had to start trusting his shooting more than his stamina and physicality. Thus, alongside linear acceleration progression, the 4x MVP integrated 3-point scoring into his gameplay. It worked like a charm as he is currently 7th on the list of all-time three-pointers made, shooting 34.6% from the deep.
This season alone, he has already made 50 three-pointers, while shooting 40.3% from behind the line averaging 5.4 attempts made per match. Out of those, he has made 44 from the range of 25-29 feet, equalling the record of the Trae Young. Not only that but his scoring form has surpassed the likes of Kevin Durant, Malik Monk, and Michael Porter Jr. in this campaign.
It all resulted from LeBron taking the challenge upon himself to push his limits. Identifying deep scoring as an area for constant improvement, he once mentioned, “Increasing my range is one of them“. “And being confident and sticking my landing and keeping my follow-through up,” the Lakers talisman further added while explaining his scoring.
His endeavors certainly have helped him preserve his body as an NBA player. Thanks to this, the followers of the league may get to enjoy watching him for a longer period.
