LeBron James is about as complete of a basketball player as there is in NBA history and while his recent offensive surge with the Los Angeles Laker has been impressive, it is his playmaking that is arguably his best trait.
James is one of the most unselfish players in the league and is always routinely making a play for a teammate. Since joining the Lakers, James has played every position and while he currently is settling in at center his roots are as a point guard.
In their loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, James surpassed NBA legend Oscar Robertson for seventh on the all-time assists list and he discussed what it meant to him.
“I am a historian of the game and I know quite a bit about the Big O from his time from high school to the Unversity of Cincinnati, to actually playing for the Cincinnati Royals all the way to Milwaukee and so on and so on,” James said after being made aware of the accomplishment.
“What he meant to the game, what he still means to the game, is something that’s just unparalleled and obviously he will always have a connection with Russ and what he was able to do for multiple seasons. But he was one of the first really premier big guards that could do pretty much everything out on the floor. But his ability to get teammates involved, his ability to find his teammates, his ability to provide that sense of joy out on the floor because of the past, is something that I will always respect and have gravitated towards. Guys like himself and J. Kidd and Magic. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s just the honest to God truth, anytime I’m connected or anything with the greats is a true honor.”
At this point, it feels like every game James plays is an opportunity to pass a legend on a statistical list. The 37-year-old recently moved up to 10th on the all-time steals list, which goes to show how illustrious his career has been.
In regards to assists, though, James will go down in history as one of the best playmakers of all time. A big guard in his own right, James is a modern version of Robertson and it has produced a legendary career and resume.
LeBron James wants to join MVP race
Because the Lakers record is not too great, James will likely get overlooked for the 2022 NBA MVP award. However, the star admitted he would like hear his name in the conversation because it would mean the Purple and Gold are winning games.
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