Year 22 was one for the books for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as he turned in another stellar regular season. James was named to the All-NBA Second Team after averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists on 51.3 percent shooting and 37.6 percent from the 3-point line.
LeBron appeared in 70 regular season games and was the team’s best player, even after the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic. Retirement continues to be a constant topic of discussion this late into James’ career, but the superstar is proving that he can play as long as he wants to.
ESPN’s annual NBA Rank survey has been releasing in parts, with the top 10 finally revealed. Last year, James came in seventh but this year he finished one spot lower at No. 8 overall:
8. LeBron James, F, Los Angeles Lakers
2024 NBA Rank: 7James dropped one spot from No. 7 to No. 8 after a very strong 22nd season during which he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds, was named to the All-NBA second team and finished sixth in MVP voting. He has already shown unprecedented late-career production and will become the first player ever to play 23 seasons when he steps on the floor this fall. His NBA Rank prominence is unprecedented, too: fellow all-time great Kobe Bryant fell to No. 93 at the start of his 20th and final season in 2015-16.
Despite being the oldest player in the league, James deserves to still be in the conversation as one of the best players in the world. While he’s started to show his age athletically, LeBron remains bigger and faster than most players at his position which has helped him stay productive offensively.
Defensively, James has lost a step but he makes up for it with his physicality and IQ. There’s no telling how many more seasons LeBron has left in him, but as long as he’s on the court he’ll always contribute to winning.
Rich Paul implores people to appreciate present and not worry about future with LeBron James
LeBron James opted into his Lakers contract for the 2025-26 season, immediately raising suspicions that he was unhappy and wanted out from Los Angeles. James and his camp immediately disputed that notion, saying they were happy with the franchise and understood its shift to Luka Doncic.
James emphasized he still expects to compete for titles, though the next question became whether or not the 2025-26 season would be his final one. It’s hard to imagine James retiring because he remains so effective on the floor but even he has admitted it’s coming soon.
The fixation on James’ pending retirement has grown larger this offseason, but his agent Rich Paul advised for people to appreciate the present and not worry about James’ future.
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