t 6’9″ and 250 pounds, LeBron James was born with a natural physical advantage over his peers. As LeBron recently showed on Instagram, however, it was more than brute strength that paved the way for a historic career.
“Pure brute strength and just running over people my whole career,” wrote James sarcastically. “No skill detected!”
After 21 years in the NBA, LeBron James is used to the haters by now. Even so, he occasionally speaks out against them whenever he feels like pumping himself up. As he prepares for the upcoming season with the Lakers, James is likely already in the gym hard at work maximizing his game. When he’ snot, he’s taking the fight to his critics for the whole world to see.
Nevertheless, the stubborn haters continue to question and discredit his greatness by making up claims about his lack of skill. Following a recent quote from Anthony Edwards, who cited that Michael Jordan was one of the only skilled athletes from the 90s, the conversation has become a hot topic across the league, and LeBron is the newest player in its crosshairs.
Due to his size, strength, and natural gifts as an athlete, James’ basketball skills are often overlooked by the average fan. Even today, as a 4x NBA champion, people question whether LeBron’s dominance is more of a product of his genetics over years of work to hone his craft. As LeBron will tell you, both elements are at play.
In his latest Instagram story, LeBron addressed the critics using the 2015 playoffs as an example. James and the Cavaliers lost in the Finals that year but his heroics stole the show that summer with averages of 30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game.
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The man was deep in his bag that year and he was hitting shots from every spot on the court while locking things down on the other end. James, at the peak of his powers, was the perfect blend of power, skill, and elite basketball IQ. Those traits have defined the King’s career and it’s what keeps him going today at 39 years old.
Going into next season, it’s clear that LeBron has declined a bit and he’s not nearly as effective as he used to be. The hope for James is that he’s still good enough to lead the Lakers to a respectable place in the standings.
With Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers do have some potential for an upset but the bulk of responsibility falls on LeBron. Even at this stage of his career, James must step up as a leader on and off the court in order to keep his team competitive in the Western Conference.
Part of the process, it seems, is reminding the world of who he is and what he can do. if James relied solely on his body for success, there’s no way he’d still be playing at this level with over two decades of mileage in the NBA. His longevity is the greatest proof there is that LeBron is as skilled as they come and the way he adapts his game to change with the times may be his greatest skill of all.
