He missed almost the entire post All-Star run the Lakers went on that got them into the postseason.
And he carried them to wins pretty much singlehandedly when AD was out for 26 games.
It's not him that has been carrying the Lakers either, they've had more impressive performances from others like Rui and AD.
AD at times, but they’ve had more impressive performances from Rui that’s carried them? Really? Because Rui had one great game… in a game where LeBron still had 21/11/9/3?
If he affected winning as much as he used to then his team wouldn't have been a play-in team.
No one has said he affects winning as much as he used. Stupid projected argument used to gaslight.
1 series against a team suffering big injuries to key players that is melting down doesn't say he's as good as he used to be.
You’re continue with this gaslighting? NO ONE HAS SAID HE’S AS GOOD AS HE USED TO BE.
He used to be the best player not only in all of basketball but made an argument for best player ever. The argument is LeBron top 15-20 right now. Why you’re bringing up he’s not as good as he used to be has literally no bearing on this conversation.
LeBron in Miami or Cleveland would have carried his team past these Grizzlies already in a sweep.
Yea, when LeBron was the undisputed best player in the game playing on the best teams in the league, he would have made quick work of the Grizzlies. So what? If anything, the fact that LeBRon ISNT on the best team in the league or even close to best team in the league and has the Grizzlies on the brink of losing at 3-1 instead of 4-0 shows just how good he still is instead of the contrary.
As far as the other reply, asking for 20 players better, availability matters and LeBron isn't as able to play each night anymore and carry a team.
Who is? Curry and his 56 games played this season… one more than LeBron? How about Kawhi who you have over LeBron even though he played less games, averaged less points, rebounds and assists AND is out of the playoffs injured again.
When he struggles to hit 50 games and his team has their best run with him in street clothes, that knocks him down a bit.
LeBron played in 56 games. Same as other guys you want to give credit for, who’s teams won a whopping 1 or 2 games more than LeBron.
BTW I said he was top 20 probably, because I didn't sit there and think it through but I don't even believe he's best Laker anymore, Anthony Davis effects their fortunes more than LBJ does.
Anthony Davis is even less reliable than LeBron is. You’re either gonna get 35/17 from Davis or 14/5… or nothing. LeBron is nothing if not consistent and in the playoffs when everything is on the line, Davis is averaging less points AND rebounds and has been even more hit and miss.
They were a play-in team though, which is where I got 20 from since there are 20 teams in the postseason including play-in participants. Most teams have a player they wouldn't swap straight up for Lebron for a season. That's what keeps him from being a top tier player. He's not a legit MVP candidate in the class of Giannis, Embiid, or Joker and he's not first or second team NBA, which is MVP candidates and guys like Ja, Tatum, Fox, and Steph that carried their teams all year long to more wins and good to great individual numbers.
That’s 7 guys you named, one of which is the same Steph Curry… who played 56 games, averaged 1 point more than LeBron, while also averaging less assists and rebounds than LeBron and leading his team to winning a whopping ONE game more than the Lakers?