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It's always been hard for me to get a grasp on this stuff. I think LeBron wasn't as quick as Kobe or DWade or MJ, but he was clearly very quick in the halfcourt still. But how quick is he now? Like how quick is his first step?

Below videos are probably good examples of what he was like in his athletic peak. I would say 08-09 season was his athletic peak. Current LeBron isn't even close to what he was like back then. He has regressed a ton which shows he crazy athletic he was to begin with..

- Some RS game.

- Series vs Pistons 2009

- Series vs Orlando 2009

Lebron wasn’t the quickest. He was definitely quick but what has made him dominate was his speed+quickness+strength. There’s never been a player who’s been able to put all of that together the way he has.

Like which wings is LeBron James of today quicker than?

Quicker than peak Westbrook. Unmatched acceleration and end to end speed.

he was quick for his size but not insanely quick, just super fast once he got a full head of steam but the acceleration wasn't THAT good (still good obviously for his size).

You'll never see anything like peak Lebron in the open court ever again. Speed, power, grace. Nothing came close before or after. That was the biggest thing that jumped out to me when I saw him on the Cav's.

I disagree with people who are saying he wasn't quick. His first step was so quick in the day, he would blow by defenders. He is still pretty fast today also with end to end speed when he gets the chance, but it seems to be in bursts.

I feel like his first step was probably equivalent to Kyrie's his last Cleveland season, all while being in a far bigger and stronger body And able to cover more ground. The acceleration and velocity was around there I'd say. Carmelo was actually the big wing back in the day that was known for his first step more than LeBron. His was probably like later years Derozan level. For LeBron he's admitted as much that it's his second step that gets you. Compared to elite quick PGs there's weren't that absurd, but it's the total package of size, length, and strength, with the first step of a still very quick smaller man that gets you.

At his peak he was pretty quick for his size but his first step really wasn't anything that crazy by NBA standards imo. Carmelo has a quicker first step for example. LeBron's strength and speed after he got going is what really made him unstoppable going to the rim, along with his balance after taking contact.

His quickness is pretty much gone now. It's evident when he tries to take good bigger defenders off the dribble in the halfcourt without a screen. But he's just so smart, he knows how to pick his spots, and he uses his strength to his advantage, so he's able to still be amazing without that same first step. Because his straight line speed, strength, passing, and dribbling are still as good as ever. Even his vertical with a full running start is still like 85-90% there. His lateral quickness, first step, and elevation in traffic are where the signs of decline lie.

Very quick. And not just for his size. Extremely quick for any size. He did lack a good first step, but once he was in motion, his acceleration was elite. And he didn't just play in a straight line. In his initial Cavalier stint (04-10), he was rubbery enough and possessed excellent ability to change direction and explode after that.

Peak quickness was in 07-08 and 08-09. Those 2 years are definitely his athletic peak.

This playoff game from 2008 is a pretty good demonstration of how freakishly quick he was.

yoyoboy wrote:At his peak he was pretty quick for his size but his first step really wasn't anything that crazy by NBA standards imo. His strength and speed after he got going is what really made him unstoppable going to the rim, along with his balance after taking contact.

His quickness is pretty much gone now. It's evident when he tries to take good bigger defenders off the dribble in the halfcourt without a screen. But he's just so smart, he knows how to pick his spots, and he uses his strength to his advantage, so he's able to still be amazing without that same first step. Because his straight line speed, strength, passing, and dribbling are still as good as ever. Even his vertical with a full running start is still like 85-90% there. His lateral quickness, first step, and elevation in traffic are where the signs of decline lie.

Stamina too, more than anything

His first step was elite at his athletic peak. He could and would blow by literally any defender. End to end speed was really high-level, also. Among, if not the fastest in the league. I remember thinking he could run track and field and run like a sub 21 time(200m) just from eye-balling him.

He’s still quick — actually amazingly so for a guy his size and age, but these days it’s more about timing and maneuvering rather than raw speed/quickness.

IG2 wrote:Very quick. And not just for his size. Extremely quick for any size. He did lack a good first step, but once he was in motion, his acceleration was elite. And he didn't just play in a straight line. He always possessed excellent ability to change direction and explode after that.

Peak quickness was 07-08 and 08-09 seasons. Those 2 years are definitely his athletic peak.

This playoff game from 2008 is a pretty good demonstration of how freakishly quick he was.

Watch on YouTube

Jesus, if LeBron had that level of athleticism right now he would be absolutely terrifying.

His first step was never lightning fast, but his strength and length made it incredibly effective. He also has an amazingly strong handle for a 6'8" guy, which is why he's still so effective despite losing a half-step.

Watch the first play in this video

don't want to compare the two but I actually think Zion has a quicker first step than peak LeBron, which is insane given that Zion weighs even more than what LeBron did

MisterHibachi wrote:Watch the first play in this video

Watch on YouTube

That Acceleration on the second play..

MisterHibachi wrote:Watch the first play in this video

Watch on YouTube

I'm not sure if i've ever seen a player get down the court faster.

He was quicker than he is now and now he's not as quick as he was.