While Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James showed some signs of physical decline in Year 23, he still looked like one of the best players in the NBA.
What makes James so special as a player is his ability to process the floor in an instant and make the right play. Kansas guard and NBA Draft prospect Darryn Peterson was asked to build his perfect player and picked James for the basketball IQ portion of his build.
Darryn Peterson builds his perfect NBA player 👀
Jumper – Steph Curry
Handles – Kyrie Irving
Defense – Kawhi Leonard
Athleticism – Anthony Edwards
Ball IQ – LeBron JamesThoughts? 🤔
(via @espn)pic.twitter.com/evz9xpTXqJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 6, 2026
Based on the criteria for Peterson’s perfect player, he seemed to nail the exercise as it’s hard to come up with better names for each skill and aspect. James’ basketball IQ has been lauded for years because of his uncanny ability to know where each and every player should be on the floor and when. James is even known for calling out other teams’ plays, a sign that he spends as much time watching film as he does working on his body.
Teammates have emphasized how much James knows about basketball, with current Lakers teammate Jarred Vanderbilt saying his IQ is what separates him from his peers. Between his physical gifts and natural feel for basketball, James is about as ideal of a star as there ever has been.
While James’ playing future remains murky, there’s no question that he could play for at least a couple more seasons if he wanted to. As James has gotten older, he’s found ways to impact winning even if it doesn’t mean scoring. He’s also proven that he can take a backseat to other stars on his team in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Peterson is projected to go near the top of the 2026 NBA Draft, and if James decides to return for one more season then the freshman star will get a chance to see what the King can do on the court, which is typically a dream come true for young players.
LeBron James not taking playing with Bronny James for granted
Being LeBron’s son has to be a tough situation for Bronny James, but the second-year guard has steadily carved out his own NBA path. LeBron and Bronny make for one of the more fun subplots of the season and the former isn’t taking playing with his son for granted.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
