Coming to a conclusive answer on who the best is will always be difficult for the NBA community. But those who belong to LeBron James’ era mostly hail him as the GOAT, and for good reason. His career longevity has been nothing short of extraordinary, and it is not just about his presence either. He is still at the top of his game, something ex-teammate Mario Chalmers recently spoke about.
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James’ fitness has allowed him to compile incredible stats and break countless records, including becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer, achieving the most playoff wins, and recording the most consecutive games with double-digit points. Chalmers, for one, has witnessed James’ greatness firsthand.
The 39-year-old was part of the Miami Heat roster that won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 with James leading the charge. Today, Chalmers plays for Miami 305 in the BIG3, while James continues to make headlines in the NBA despite being two years older. Chalmers cannot help but admire that.
“Is there any player from the past whose career at LeBron’s age compares to where LeBron is now?” Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson asked via his website, Scoop B.
Chalmer, a nine-year veteran, could not think of anyone else to compare LeBron to. When he considered the other NBA greats, he pointed out that James has never had to deal with a major injury. For that reason, he believes LeBron exists in his own airspace.
“No. Just because… to me, not taking away anything else from ‘Bron or his talent or anything, but to play 21-plus years and not have no major injury? That says a LOT,” Chalmers said. “And there’s no other player that’s up there as a top.
“They all went through injuries. Kobe? Torn Achilles. Shoulder. Jordan? Broken foot. Fingers. ‘Bron? And that’s attributed to how he takes care of his body and what he puts in and gets out of his body.”
It’s hard to dispute with Chalmers. Part of what’s made LeBron so good is his commitment to taking care of his body. It’s allowed him to remain hyper competitive even at the age of 40.
Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant suffered an Achilles tear that somewhat derailed the end of his career. Jordan missed all of his second season in the NBA with a broken foot. Not to mention, he also missed four total seasons due to his various “retirements” from the sport.
LeBron, on the other hand, avoided all of that. He took care of his body with a routine that involved a ton of muscle therapy, working out, and a good diet. These are things that he still follows to this day.
At the end of the day, Chalmers is right in putting James in his own category as a player. There are plenty of great arguments that suggest LeBron has proven to be the GOAT of the NBA, and a lot of that has to do with his longevity.
At the same time, it is undeniable that in terms of career efficiency, Jordan had the bigger impact. Six championships in six tries while winning Finals MVP in each, along with the highest career scoring average ever. MJ might be the best scorer the league has ever seen, and he was not too shabby defensively either. So it really comes down to what you value more, longevity or impact.
Either way, you cannot go wrong with either LeBron or Jordan. They are both amazing players who altered the landscape of the NBA in their primes. At least now we know where Chalmers stands, although we always had a feeling he would choose LeBron. After all, he is the reason Chalmers has two rings to boast about.
