Miami LeBron vs 1st stint Cavs LeBron

Moderators: Clyde Frazier, Doctor MJ, trex_8063, penbeast0, PaulieWal

User avatar
TheGOATRises007
RealGM
Posts: 21,436
And1: 20,094
Joined: Oct 05, 2013
         

Re: Miami LeBron vs 1st stint Cavs LeBron 

Post#41 » by TheGOATRises007 » Sun Aug 4, 2024 1:23 am

I don't see 2013 as LeBron's peak anymore, but I agree with IG2 that people are downplaying his athleticism in the Miami years.

He was still the best athlete in the league by far and a freak athlete. Perhaps not as athletic as 2009, but he was still colossal athletically.
1993Playoffs
Assistant Coach
Posts: 4,075
And1: 4,240
Joined: Apr 25, 2017

Re: Miami LeBron vs 1st stint Cavs LeBron 

Post#42 » by 1993Playoffs » Sun Aug 4, 2024 2:39 am

I’d take 1st stint Cavs.

Anyway just some random thoughts about LeBron’s athleticism if anyone agrees/disagrees please chime in.

LeBron's absolute peak of athleticism was 04-09 , 2010 is a very slight decline

He actuallys looks faster in 2011 compared to his other Miami years.

He gained strength and skill as time went on. But his athletic peak was 04-09ish imo.
Cavsfansince84
RealGM
Posts: 14,790
And1: 11,321
Joined: Jun 13, 2017
   

Re: Miami LeBron vs 1st stint Cavs LeBron 

Post#43 » by Cavsfansince84 » Sun Aug 4, 2024 5:17 am

1993Playoffs wrote:I’d take 1st stint Cavs.

Anyway just some random thoughts about LeBron’s athleticism if anyone agrees/disagrees please chime in.

LeBron's absolute peak of athleticism was 04-09 , 2010 is a very slight decline

He actuallys looks faster in 2011 compared to his other Miami years.

He gained strength and skill as time went on. But his athletic peak was 04-09ish imo.


I don't think its so much a raw athletic peak in those years so much as he traded in some quickness for strength and it's just that we associate speed and quickness with bb more than do strength. More so for a wing. I see 08-10 as his athletic peak but I'd put 11-14 above 04-07 because the strength did add something to his game. I mean watch video of 12-13 LeBron and he's doing things that no one should be able to at 270+lb. 15-18 had lost a step but he also was more decisive with the ball in some ways which masked it. Similar to 96-98 MJ who already knew what he wanted to do with the ball before he got it most of the time.
1993Playoffs
Assistant Coach
Posts: 4,075
And1: 4,240
Joined: Apr 25, 2017

Re: Miami LeBron vs 1st stint Cavs LeBron 

Post#44 » by 1993Playoffs » Sun Aug 4, 2024 7:20 am

Cavsfansince84 wrote:
1993Playoffs wrote:I’d take 1st stint Cavs.

Anyway just some random thoughts about LeBron’s athleticism if anyone agrees/disagrees please chime in.

LeBron's absolute peak of athleticism was 04-09 , 2010 is a very slight decline

He actuallys looks faster in 2011 compared to his other Miami years.

He gained strength and skill as time went on. But his athletic peak was 04-09ish imo.


I don't think its so much a raw athletic peak in those years so much as he traded in some quickness for strength and it's just that we associate speed and quickness with bb more than do strength. More so for a wing. I see 08-10 as his athletic peak but I'd put 11-14 above 04-07 because the strength did add something to his game. I mean watch video of 12-13 LeBron and he's doing things that no one should be able to at 270+lb. 15-18 had lost a step but he also was more decisive with the ball in some ways which masked it. Similar to 96-98 MJ who already knew what he wanted to do with the ball before he got it most of the time.


Good point about the strength vs speed in bball, his first few years he did lack some strength. It just seems like the last few years of his first stint were just off the charts athletic,

It’s crazy because 12-13 LeBron is better than the vast majority of athletes in NBA history , but I remember even in 2013 watching saying to myself that he wasn’t the athlete he was in 2009.
User avatar
Sign5
Head Coach
Posts: 7,125
And1: 10,451
Joined: Sep 27, 2011

Re: Miami LeBron vs 1st stint Cavs LeBron 

Post#45 » by Sign5 » Sun Aug 4, 2024 9:58 am

I hear all the talking points but the best way I can describe it is with sliders 2k style.

Bron's speed, vertical, agility were all at its peak by the end of his Cleveland tenure but he gained a considerable amount of strength/bulk in his Miami tenure that people neglect as an advantage (especially in the post/playing PF). He did indeed lose a bit of speed, vert, agility but because those attributes were still already so freakish that it didn't matter as the added strength (which was already quite overwhelming) and added maturity/poise just made him COMPLETELY unstoppable overall.

Not to mention his best shooting years outside his recent Lakers years (which is mainly him just taking more volume jumpers anyways due to diminished athleticism) came during his Heat tenure.

So in essence if I mapped out his attributes in both tenure it'd look something like:

08-10 Cavs
Vert- 99
Speed-97
Agility-97
Strength- 93
Shooting- 73


Miami Lebron
Vert- 97
Speed-93
Agility- 93
Strength- 98
Shooting- 80

Return to Player Comparisons