(LOCK THREAD) The LeBron James - 22-23 NBA Season Thread -NBA's All-Time Scoring Leader!

[prolific passer]

I can’t believe LeBron extended with one of the worst run teams in the league. Lakers won’t be good for a long long long time until the front office is completely overhauled.

What star would want to sign for them???

Lebron's Lakers career overall has been underwhelming to say the least. But hey he's gonna pass Kareem in total career points so that's something.

[dcstanley]

Is this front office really comfortable giving the Pelicans a lottery pick?

[Mos_Heat]

If Lebron is injured it's time to trade Davis

[SweetTouch]

Father Time has arrived.
At least we have all the countless underdog titles to go by

[zimpy27]

If Lebron is injured it's time to trade Davis

They should showcase Davis and then trade him

[Mazter]

Well, the good part of this season is that LeBron still manages 6.2 FG's made in the RA. And he is doing it at 70.5%. If only he can get his outside shooting to a decent efficiency.

Players older than 35 with at least 3 FG's in the RA made per game (since 96/97):

Code: Select all

    Name       Season Age  FGM   FG%
1   James      2022   37   6.5   75.3
2   *James     2023   38   6.2   70.5
3   James      2020   35   5.7   68.7
4   O'Neal     2009   37   4.9   73.3
5   James      2021   36   4.8   75.6
6   O'Neal     2007   35   4.7   75.7
7   K.Malone   2000   36   4.1   67.5
8   K.Malone   1999   35   3.9   64.8
9   K.Malone   2001   37   3.8   66.5
10  O'Neal     2008   36   3.7   72.8
11  O'Neal     2010   38   3.5   66.7
12  O'Neal     2011   39   3.4   70.6
13  Drexler    1998   36   3.4   64.6
14  Jordan     1998   35   3.4   61.5
15  Duncan     2013   37   3.3   67.8
16  Barkley    1999   36   3.3   63.1
17  Payton     2004   35   3.2   60.2
18  Willis     1998   35   3.1   68.3
19  Coleman    2002   35   3.1   65.1
20  Barkley    1998   35   3.1   63.3
21  Drexler    1997   35   3.1   56.8
22  T.Allen    2017   35   3.1   52.6
23  Robinson   2001   35   3.0   64.2


Of course it's worth noticing that it's much easier to score at an older age nowadays and also easier to score in the paint due to open lanes and rule changes...

[Ian Scuffling]

Remember TRUE fans, he's almost 38 with tons of mileage. No, he isn't THAT Lebron, anymore. But he is surely the best older wing in the history of the game. This garbage around him, no matter how much the trolls try to tie it to him, is not his doing. He was the best player on the Lakers last championship and was instrumental in brining AD to the Lakers, so he has brought the team winning. Injuries have caught up with him and Pelinka has done the rest.

[Joao Saraiva]

Well, the good part of this season is that LeBron still manages 6.2 FG's made in the RA. And he is doing it at 70.5%. If only he can get his outside shooting to a decent efficiency.

Players older than 35 with at least 3 FG's in the RA made per game (since 96/97):

Code: Select all

    Name       Season Age  FGM   FG%
1   James      2022   37   6.5   75.3
2   *James     2023   38   6.2   70.5
3   James      2020   35   5.7   68.7
4   O'Neal     2009   37   4.9   73.3
5   James      2021   36   4.8   75.6
6   O'Neal     2007   35   4.7   75.7
7   K.Malone   2000   36   4.1   67.5
8   K.Malone   1999   35   3.9   64.8
9   K.Malone   2001   37   3.8   66.5
10  O'Neal     2008   36   3.7   72.8
11  O'Neal     2010   38   3.5   66.7
12  O'Neal     2011   39   3.4   70.6
13  Drexler    1998   36   3.4   64.6
14  Jordan     1998   35   3.4   61.5
15  Duncan     2013   37   3.3   67.8
16  Barkley    1999   36   3.3   63.1
17  Payton     2004   35   3.2   60.2
18  Willis     1998   35   3.1   68.3
19  Coleman    2002   35   3.1   65.1
20  Barkley    1998   35   3.1   63.3
21  Drexler    1997   35   3.1   56.8
22  T.Allen    2017   35   3.1   52.6
23  Robinson   2001   35   3.0   64.2


Of course it's worth noticing that it's much easier to score at an older age nowadays and also easier to score in the paint due to open lanes and rule changes...

I think the problem is his lack of motor tough. If he plays defense, conductes the offense... his legs are gonna fail him. That's why the outside shot is falling less and less. He's just tired. And with that he'll shoot more from outside cause driving time and time again is not possible with dead legs.

[JLei]

I can’t believe LeBron extended with one of the worst run teams in the league. Lakers won’t be good for a long long long time until the front office is completely overhauled.

What star would want to sign for them???

He decided that he'd rather live in Los Angeles and see his kid play his senior year and break the record as a Laker then get traded to another place.

It's understandable. Also he probably didn't think it would be this bad and thought he had commitment from the Lakers to get him some help with those 2 picks. It looks like the wrong decision now but understandable at the time.

We gonna be a scrappy team fighting for the play in, I'll break the record and maybe we get Turner and Hield. Obviously that's not what happened.

[Joao Saraiva]

I can’t believe LeBron extended with one of the worst run teams in the league. Lakers won’t be good for a long long long time until the front office is completely overhauled.

What star would want to sign for them???

He decided that he'd rather live in Los Angeles and see his kid play his senior year and break the record as a Laker then get traded to another place.

It's understandable. Also he probably didn't think it would be this bad and thought he had commitment from the Lakers to get him some help with those 2 picks. It looks like the wrong decision now but understandable at the time.

We gonna be a scrappy team fighting for the play in, I'll break the record and maybe we get Turner and Hield. Obviously that's not what happened.

I'd really like to know what type of conversation they had. Did the Lakers promise him any type of move or something.

[Onus]

I think it's funny that there are so many lebron fans acting like Lebron is a victim. The lakers had 3 no 2 picks on the team and don't own their pick until 2027 and traded all of that so that they could win a bubble title. AD and Lebron are no longer top 10 players in the league. What does trading 2027 and 2029 pick do for this team? Make them a play in team?

This is the first time in Lebron's career he's actually had to play on a rebuilding team. He's switched teams at this point every time this situation has arose in his last stops. Those teams mortgaged their future so that they could go to the finals, but once it was time to rebuild, Lebron left for greener pastures. Now he has to finally see the cost.

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

[G35]

G35 hit his head one too many times in the US Military.

Lol

Maybe, TBI is a known issue in my career field.

But Lebron must have hit his head too many times on the rim to think this was a good team to re-sign with.....

[parsnips33]

I think it's funny that there are so many lebron fans acting like Lebron is a victim. The lakers had 3 no 2 picks on the team and don't own their pick until 2027 and traded all of that so that they could win a bubble title. AD and Lebron are no longer top 10 players in the league. What does trading 2027 and 2029 pick do for this team? Make them a play in team?

This is the first time in Lebron's career he's actually had to play on a rebuilding team. He's switched teams at this point every time this situation has arose in his last stops. Those teams mortgaged their future so that they could go to the finals, but once it was time to rebuild, Lebron left for greener pastures. Now he has to finally see the cost.

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

At the risk of really riling people up, it seems that victim status is something you see Lebron fans cling to in a way you really don't see for Jordan. Whether he's the victim of Dan Gilbert's incompetence, KD's decision to join the Warriors, or I guess now Buss/Pelinka's incompetence. I guess it could be reflective of broader ways that our society values the status of "victim" compared to the 90s

[thebigbird]

I think it's funny that there are so many lebron fans acting like Lebron is a victim. The lakers had 3 no 2 picks on the team and don't own their pick until 2027 and traded all of that so that they could win a bubble title. AD and Lebron are no longer top 10 players in the league. What does trading 2027 and 2029 pick do for this team? Make them a play in team?

This is the first time in Lebron's career he's actually had to play on a rebuilding team. He's switched teams at this point every time this situation has arose in his last stops. Those teams mortgaged their future so that they could go to the finals, but once it was time to rebuild, Lebron left for greener pastures. Now he has to finally see the cost.

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

Lmao please. The AD trade was completely fine and did not “mortgage the future.” They still had picks and role players after making that trade. It’s every move made by the incompetent FO since then that has destroyed the team.

[RCM88x]

I think it's funny that there are so many lebron fans acting like Lebron is a victim. The lakers had 3 no 2 picks on the team and don't own their pick until 2027 and traded all of that so that they could win a bubble title. AD and Lebron are no longer top 10 players in the league. What does trading 2027 and 2029 pick do for this team? Make them a play in team?

This is the first time in Lebron's career he's actually had to play on a rebuilding team. He's switched teams at this point every time this situation has arose in his last stops. Those teams mortgaged their future so that they could go to the finals, but once it was time to rebuild, Lebron left for greener pastures. Now he has to finally see the cost.

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

Compared to any player most people consider top10-15 all time him and Kobe are probably the only ones who ever played on "rebuilding" teams in their careers.

Everyone else either retired or played with circumstances that always put their team in a highly competitive tier.

Speaks to the parity of the NBA these days more than anything. Teams can't be title contenders for a decade straight anymore, its just impossible.

[Mazter]

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

LeBron left the Heat in 2014 and they were back in the Finals in 2020.
Duncan played 20 seasons for the Spurs and retired in 2016, what have the Spurs everly after accomplished?
The Lakers missed the play offs for 5 straight seasons, 3 of them in Kobe's waning days and 2 after. They werent getting anywhere before LeBron's arrival despite having 6 first round picks (three of them 2nd picks and one 7th) the previous 4 seasons.
Ballmer has been pouring 210M into George and Leonard the past 3 seasons and got really nothing to show for, not even a Division title.

There are no guarantees whatsoever for any future in the NBA. At least Lebron gave a championship to every franchise he played for. I guess some people are trying too hard to make something out of nothing.

[Onus]

I think it's funny that there are so many lebron fans acting like Lebron is a victim. The lakers had 3 no 2 picks on the team and don't own their pick until 2027 and traded all of that so that they could win a bubble title. AD and Lebron are no longer top 10 players in the league. What does trading 2027 and 2029 pick do for this team? Make them a play in team?

This is the first time in Lebron's career he's actually had to play on a rebuilding team. He's switched teams at this point every time this situation has arose in his last stops. Those teams mortgaged their future so that they could go to the finals, but once it was time to rebuild, Lebron left for greener pastures. Now he has to finally see the cost.

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

Compared to any player most people consider top10-15 all time him and Kobe are probably the only ones who ever played on "rebuilding" teams in their careers.

Everyone else either retired or played with circumstances that always put their team in a highly competitive tier.

Speaks to the parity of the NBA these days more than anything. Teams can't be title contenders for a decade straight anymore, its just impossible.

Curry also went through a rebuilding year

[Onus]

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

LeBron left the Heat in 2014 and they were back in the Finals in 2020.
Duncan played 20 seasons for the Spurs and retired in 2016, what have the Spurs everly after accomplished?
The Lakers missed the play offs for 5 straight seasons, 3 of them in Kobe's waning days and 2 after. They werent getting anywhere before LeBron's arrival despite having 6 first round picks (three of them 2nd picks and one 7th) the previous 4 seasons.
Ballmer has been pouring 210M into George and Leonard the past 3 seasons and got really nothing to show for, not even a Division title.

There are no guarantees whatsoever for any future in the NBA. At least Lebron gave a championship to every franchise he played for. I guess some people are trying too hard to make something out of nothing.

Yes there are no guarantees in the NBA. Lebron did get a championship to every franchise he's played for. Not sure what that has to do with what I said though.

[Onus]

I think it's funny that there are so many lebron fans acting like Lebron is a victim. The lakers had 3 no 2 picks on the team and don't own their pick until 2027 and traded all of that so that they could win a bubble title. AD and Lebron are no longer top 10 players in the league. What does trading 2027 and 2029 pick do for this team? Make them a play in team?

This is the first time in Lebron's career he's actually had to play on a rebuilding team. He's switched teams at this point every time this situation has arose in his last stops. Those teams mortgaged their future so that they could go to the finals, but once it was time to rebuild, Lebron left for greener pastures. Now he has to finally see the cost.

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

Lmao please. The AD trade was completely fine and did not “mortgage the future.” They still had picks and role players after making that trade. It’s every move made by the incompetent FO since then that has destroyed the team.

They did win a title after the AD trade so not completely incompetent?

[RCM88x]

I think it's funny that there are so many lebron fans acting like Lebron is a victim. The lakers had 3 no 2 picks on the team and don't own their pick until 2027 and traded all of that so that they could win a bubble title. AD and Lebron are no longer top 10 players in the league. What does trading 2027 and 2029 pick do for this team? Make them a play in team?

This is the first time in Lebron's career he's actually had to play on a rebuilding team. He's switched teams at this point every time this situation has arose in his last stops. Those teams mortgaged their future so that they could go to the finals, but once it was time to rebuild, Lebron left for greener pastures. Now he has to finally see the cost.

This is his legacy. Teams mortgage their future to go to the finals for 4 years and then they have to rebuild but Lebron leaves to repeat the process. This is the first time he's chosen to stay and pay for those title chances but now he's the victim.

Compared to any player most people consider top10-15 all time him and Kobe are probably the only ones who ever played on "rebuilding" teams in their careers.

Everyone else either retired or played with circumstances that always put their team in a highly competitive tier.

Speaks to the parity of the NBA these days more than anything. Teams can't be title contenders for a decade straight anymore, its just impossible.

Curry also went through a rebuilding year

He was injured the whole year as were most of his teammates, not really a rebuilding year, more of a punt year.

Reckon he's not quite on this level though.