LeBron James is heading into his 22nd season as a member of the NBA and he continues to produce at a ridiculously high level.
Despite failing to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, James had a productive year, averaging 25.7 points per game and shooting a career-best 41 percent from three-point range. James has racked up 40,474 points in his career and still has a few more years of basketball dominance ahead. However, some NBA enthusiasts still believe he has little to no skills on the court.
On Saturday, Instagram user “lbjhistory” took the liberty of revisiting James’ slick offensive moments from the 2015 NBA playoffs, and the four-time NBA champion chose to use it as an opportunity to fire back at his pesky doubters.
Sharing the captivating summary of his exploits on his Instagram account, James wrote: “Brute strength and running over people my entire career! No skills detected.” While he didn’t attack any specific individuals in his post, it’s clear he’s tired of the common perception that he only outplays defenders every night.
Does the 6-foot-1, 250-pound winger use his upper-body power to create advantages? Absolutely, but it would be foolish to suggest he is a one-dimensional scorer. James has mastered the art of establishing a low position on the left or right block, feeling out his defenders before putting the ball on the floor and understanding when it is appropriate to execute a fadeaway shot with a quick release.
On the perimeter, James isn’t going to overwhelm defenders with Kyrie Irving-style dribble combinations, but he will happily explode down the court, make defenders lean their weight in one direction and violently pull away from them en route to the basket. James can also bring the ball to his chest and punish defenders who don’t respect his three-point shooting ability.
James’ game may not be aesthetically pleasing to many, but there’s no doubt that it does more than showcase his strength on offense. He’s found plenty of ways to get the job done throughout his career, and he’ll continue to do so until he’s ready to move on to something new.
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