With the start of the regular season just around the corner, it is time for the annual ESPN NBARank which lists the top 100 players in the league. Last season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James ranked ninth on the list and now entering his 22nd season, many were curious to see where he would land.
But coming off another All-NBA selection last season, and an even more impressive showing in leading Team USA to a gold medal at the Olympics in France and being named tournament MVP, the Lakers star would move up on ESPN’s list as LeBron rose from ninth to seventh, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
Why he rose 2 spots: The best basketball players in the world descended on Paris this offseason to compete in the Summer Olympics, vying for the gold medal and national pride. When it was all said and done, James won the third gold medal of his career and was named tournament MVP — another win in his unrelenting battle against Father Time. Anyone who watched him spark a second-half comeback against Serbia by guarding Nikola Jokic on one end and attacking the hoop on the other was reminded exactly who LeBron is when the chips are down. And the fact that he put up 25.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists in his 21st season while becoming the first player in history to top 40,000 career points again reaffirmed his elite level in the game at 39 years old.
Biggest question for 2024-25: If you listen to James, there’s nothing left for him personally to put on his résumé. “Everything else is extra credit,” James said at the start of training camp when asked what’s left for him in the NBA. “I love what I do. But no, I don’t need to [accomplish more]. No. I’ve got everything.” Which means the biggest question for James aligns with his biggest remaining priority: How will it go with him and his son Bronny together on the Lakers? They have already made history as the first father-son duo in NBA history to be on the same team. Now the question is whether the 20-year-old Bronny, who L.A. selected with the No. 55 pick in the draft, can develop quickly enough for the pair to play meaningful minutes together.
Stat to watch this season: Games played. Last season, James played his most games (71) since joining the Lakers. He only missed consecutive games once, bookending the All-Star break, as he used the time to seek treatment on his left ankle. Otherwise, he was healthy, a consistent status that has eluded him since signing with L.A. in 2018 as a series of groin, ankle and foot injuries have sidelined him in the twilight years of his career. For James, who turns 40 in December, playing upward of 70 games again will not only give the Lakers their best chance to be competitive, but it will keep him as engaged as possible as JJ Redick begins his coaching career.
It is truly amazing that James is still able to perform at such a high level with all the miles he has put on his body throughout his career. Him coming in at No. 7 on the ESPN NBARank list is a more than deserving spot as he continues to show that he is amongst the NBA elite even as he nears the end of his career.
Being able to make history alongside his son Bronny James is special, but make no mistake, LeBron remains committed to winning at the highest level and he will come into this season ready to defy all logic of what a player at his age is capable of.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis comes in at No. 13 on ESPN NBA Rank
Not far behind LeBron James on the ESPN NBARank list was his teammate Anthony Davis who came in at No. 13, somehow dropping three spots despite having one of the best seasons of his career. The Lakers big man played 76 games and was an All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team selection last year.
The meteoric rises of Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama ultimately knocked Davis down a couple of spots, but he comes into this season ready off an outstanding run in the Olympics alongside LeBron and ready to show last year was no fluke and lead the Lakers back into contention.
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