In its seventeenth season, LeBron James faces a major new challenge alongside his Los Angeles Lakers teammates: heading to the Orlando bubble for the NBA restart after a nearly five-month hiatus and bringing the legendary franchise to his seventeenth championship.
What will James look like in Florida? Can you still master? Is this your best shot at a fourth NBA title? Are you still the best player in the NBA?
We surveyed five of our NBA experts for their opinions on LeBron’s big questions.
MORE: Predicting LeBron’s Future Titles and NBA Legacy
1. LeBron …
A. Show your age in Orlando
B. Dominate
C. A little of each
Jorge Sedano: To dominate. James is still the best player in the league and can affect the game in more ways than those who chase him for that status. He has defended himself at a higher level than in previous years and leads the league in assists. Also, do you give that boy four months to rest and prepare his body? The season of revenge, in fact.
Jackie MacMullan: To dominate. He knows better than anyone how to maintain his body, mental toughness, and unique focus. I think he is among those who have benefited most from the dismissal. It is played at full strength.
Kevin Pelton: This is probably a better question for sports scientists, given the unique physical challenge of increasing a second time with the benefit of an extended second rest for LeBron in the past 15 months. Ultimately, I think James is much more likely to dominate than show his age.
Andre Snellings: To dominate. If age is holding you back, it’s in durability and endurance. Since he’s had a long break to regain his health before the postseason, I hope LeBron will perform as if he’s still in his 20s, which is terrifying for the rest of the league.
Ramona Shelburne: To dominate. In addition to making TikTok videos, LeBron is said to have stood out remarkably during the layoff. If anything, free time should have given him time to heal a groin injury that followed throughout the season.
2. Fact or Fiction: This is LeBron’s best remaining shot in a fourth NBA title.
MacMullan: Done. When the rules change, who changes most effectively along with them? This is a unique opportunity to exploit the weakness of others. LeBron is made for that.
Snellings: Fiction, because LeBron has more in the tank and the Lakers can build more effectively around him in the future. The Lakers collected most of their chips in the offseason to bring Anthony Davis to town, and they didn’t have much flexibility left. They should have a chance to sculpt after this season, adding shooters and maximizing role players for future careers.
Sedano: Done. LeBron could still be the best player in the league next season, but it’s more about outside forces. The LA Clippers will have another year of chemistry under their belt. The Golden State Warriors will return. The Eastern Conference will be better: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game will continue to evolve, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will likely be healthy, and Jayson Tatum is becoming a star. Not to mention that Father Time is undefeated.
Shelburne: Fiction. As long as Anthony Davis re-signs with the Lakers long-term this summer, I think LeBron has another two or three years to compete for the titles after this one, or basically as long as he can stay in top shape. With Davis and James as centerpieces, the Lakers can rearrange their supporting cast quite easily each summer.
Pelton: Done. The Lakers could benefit from their mid-level exception by going further in free agency, with little space available this offseason. Still, I think LeBron’s age and the team’s relatively good health point to this being his best shot at a title.
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LeBron James talks about the NBA MVP career and why he feels he has shown what he is capable of from an individual and team perspective.
3. What would winning a championship this season mean for LeBron’s legacy?
Shelburne: The first line of LeBron’s biography is that he won a championship in Cleveland. His work on social justice and political issues could be even more important given the historical context. Before this season, he would have said that winning a championship in Los Angeles would only be a complement to LeBron’s main professional achievements. But given everything that has happened this year, the Lakers’ victory behind LeBron would be a great achievement.
Sedano: It wouldn’t be as significant as his first title with the Miami Heat or winning one at Cleveland, but it would make him the first leader to win a championship with three franchises. Let’s not forget, he is directly competing with city rival Kawhi Leonard for that same feat. It would also further solidify LeBron’s player empowerment movement, which is a big part of his legacy. Winning a championship for the Lakers would be the icing on the cake.
Snellings: LeBron would have brought a legendary franchise back to the top, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2013. It would be his fourth championship in three franchises, a unique achievement in NBA history. And he would join Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with four MVPs and four rings. LeBron is already at the top, but this would definitely enhance his GOAT credentials.
MacMullan: Enough with previous questions! LeBron’s legacy is intact, in cement. He is the best of his generation, but most importantly, he is the father of player empowerment. Nothing can tarnish that.
Pelton: Legacy has more to do with the stories we share than pure performance, and becoming the first player to win the Finals MVP with three different teams would be a great story. Additionally, each championship closest to Michael Jordan’s total of six reduces the amount by which LeBron has to beat Jordan’s individual stats for a chance to win the CABRA argument.
4. How should we think of LeBron’s place in the “best NBA player” conversation?
Pelton: I put it number 1 in our restart ranking. Inevitably, this question focuses more on the playoffs, and while Antetokounmpo has been a better regular-season player for the past two years, LeBron has a history of improving his postseason play level that Giannis still can’t match. Perhaps Giannis or Leonard will beat him in Orlando, but for now, there is no bet safer than James.
Shelburne: The man leads the NBA in assists! At 35 years old! As a forward point? That is incredible. I think Giannis has the go-ahead for MVP this year because he is also the best defensive player in the league. But if you had a game or playoff series to win, you’d be amazed at how many coaches or general managers would choose LeBron.
Snellings: When healthy, fresh and focused, “Playoffs Mode LeBron” remains the best player in the world. Antetokounmpo could have outplayed him with his play throughout the season and an extended playoff career. In the worst case, LeBron is in the top two overall, but he’s probably number 1 in the current circumstances.
Sedano: We should appreciate LeBron while he is still playing at this level. If you look at what he’s doing at 35, there really is no real compensation. The closest you can get is Jordan at 34, the season before his final retirement with the Chicago Bulls. Kawhi could be the best defender, and Giannis could be more athletic than James these days, but LeBron still wears the crown as the most complete player in the league.
MacMullan: Enough with the questions of the “best LeBron player”! He has dominated the league for years, regardless of where he plays or with whom. Giannis is nearing his prime, and I would start my team with him now, if he had a choice. But that doesn’t mean LeBron can’t beat him.
5. What is your bold LeBron prediction?
MacMullan: LeBron becomes the first black owner in the NBA to win a championship.
Shelburne: I have covered many aging superstars. No matter how amazing they were at their peak, the body finally dwindles, injuries happen, and Father Time continues. So far, LeBron has challenged him. I think he plays harder and more minutes in Orlando than any other superstar. This is a short period of time, you have rested a lot and there is no reason to manage the load.
Sedano: LeBron will find a way to beat a more complete Clippers team and win his fourth championship. The Clippers have arguably the two best players to defend James at Leonard and Paul George. But the Warriors threw discouraging defenders at LeBron in the Finals for years and got away with that group (despite only winning one series against Golden State). This time he will have Anthony Davis on his way to a title.
Pelton: LeBron becomes the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 10 assists per game in a playoff career of more than one round.
Snellings: LeBron will win at least two more championships. He may have an impact at the MVP level in the postseason for years to come, and if the Lakers build around him and Anthony Davis, they should compete for the foreseeable future.
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