LeBron James is widely regarded as either the best or second-best NBA player of all time. That said, he is 36 years old. No matter how great of condition someone is in, regardless of how well they take care of themselves, there is no denying that milage impacts playing ability.
Because of James’ rapidly advancing age, many have taken to calling Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant the new best player in the NBA.
On one hand, it kind of makes sense. James’ 25.0 points, 7.8 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game this year were some of the worst marks of his career. Beyond that, he also missed 27 games with an ankle injury. Durant, meanwhile, just produced his top scoring output since 2015 and was about an inch away from carrying his squad into the Eastern Conference Finals.
On the other hand, when James is firing on all cylinders – he is unstoppable. Point blank. The Lakers’ 2020 NBA title is a perfect example of that.
This week, NBA legend Magic Johnson opted to settle the James vs Durant debate once and for all.
Hanging out with the greatest player in the game today @KingJames! pic.twitter.com/d3SpPMH9mC
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 19, 2021
As far as he is concerned, there is no debate. James is the present day greatest – full-stop.
This isn’t the first time Johnson has said something to this effect.
“What the USA Men’s Basketball team is missing is a guy who’s won 4 NBA Championships (making him a proven winner), the best leader in the game of basketball, and someone who makes his teammates better…aka LeBron James,” he tweeted a few months back.
That’s one way to do it. https://t.co/QbFS5uYpUn
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 20, 2021
James is no stranger to this sort of discussion. Folks frequently stack him up against Michael Jordan, with mixed results. Allen Iverson recently offered his definitive thoughts on who is better, and he isn’t the first. Floyd Mayweather has done it. Shawn Kemp has done it. In fact, even non-athletes like former President Donald Trump have done it.
For the time being, it seems like most folks are in agreement – James is the current greatest, but Jordan is the only GOAT.
Related: Darren Collison Hopes To Sign With 1 Specific NBA Team
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
