Most similar player to LeBron all time?

[durantbird]

If you had to choose the player who would be the best LeBron James copycat in history of the game, who would it be? He needs to be closest in properties to LeBron, in terms of scoring, playmaking, defense, leadership, and whatever properties you see fit.

Some names that come to mind: Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Grant Hill, Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Rick Barry, Kawhi Leonard (?), Tracy McGrady (?), Kevin Durant (?), Penny Hardaway, Luka Doncic.

BTW I included a poll but you might disagree completely with some of the options, that's ok.

[EmpireFalls]

Much as I think they differ, the only player who is really good enough to fits this comparison, with the requisite athleticism, size, vision, and skill, is Magic.

I think Russ and Baron Davis to an extent are better examples of pure playstyle similarities, at least of a younger LBJ.

Don’t see the Luka comp really. Luka is righty Harden.

[KembaWalker]

Yeah it’s gotta be Magic I guess even though it’s not a very good comp. Feels like you have to pick a segment of years to even attempt a comp anyway. Dudes been around so long and changed his game so much that he’s a bad comp to himself

[falcolombardi]

Wade is as good a comparision as any

James butler too

[falcolombardi]

Wade is as good a comparision as any

James butler too

[AStark1993]

Dominique Wilkins.

[tsherkin]

Wade is as good a comparision as any

Is he? Wade wasn't the same level of playmaker, didn't have the same kind of size, never developed a 3pt shot of consequence. He had powerful physical tools and drove a lot, sure, but like, that's not the only element of Lebron's game. I think Wade is a pretty superficial comparison, tbh.

[RCM88x]

Grant Hill has always been the guy for me, especially earlier in his career. Naturally as Lebron's game has evolved it's been less strong but I still think of all the guys I've seen play he's the one who approaches things most similar to Lebron. Magic was much more of a distributor and a true PG to me. Lebron despite his passing ability has always been a primarily a scorer who also passes rather than the opposite. Magic never had the physicality of Lebron either while at least Hill had a pretty downhill game.

[SeattleJazzFan]

of that list, bird, magic, hill and luka are the contenders.

luka and bird are probably most similar in terms of size, skillset, production, scoring prowess. but they of course severely lack the athleticism. hill at his peak and if he could have stayed healthy probably combines those things with comparable athleticism - still doesn't have the big strong body type, but that's my vote. Grant Hill.

[trex_8063]

Dominique Wilkins.

Trolling will not be long tolerated here, fyi.

[tsherkin]

Grant Hill has always been the guy for me, especially earlier in his career. Naturally as Lebron's game has evolved it's been less strong but I still think of all the guys I've seen play he's the one who approaches things most similar to Lebron. Magic was much more of a distributor and a true PG to me. Lebron despite his passing ability has always been a primarily a scorer who also passes rather than the opposite. Magic never had the physicality of Lebron either while at least Hill had a pretty downhill game.

I dunno. Lebron's a pretty high-end distributor and game manager. He is just ALSO a very good scorer, and with physical tools Magic never enjoyed. Lebron's vision and technical passing ability don't really suffer in a comparison with Magic. And it isn't as if he HASN'T led the league in APG before. Magic was a career 13.2 FGA/g player. In part due to Kareem over the first half of his career, but also in part because he wasn't as capable as Lebron as far as scoring.

That's a lot of words for "Lebron showed comparable ability to Magic as a playmaker, but he had so many more tools that he was also a much, much, much better scoring weapon. And he didn't have Kareem to work with."

I see what you mean about Hill, though. Lebron's bigger, and a better shooter, but for the first half of Lebron's career, "Bigger Grant Hill" is a strong comparison.

[RCM88x]

Grant Hill has always been the guy for me, especially earlier in his career. Naturally as Lebron's game has evolved it's been less strong but I still think of all the guys I've seen play he's the one who approaches things most similar to Lebron. Magic was much more of a distributor and a true PG to me. Lebron despite his passing ability has always been a primarily a scorer who also passes rather than the opposite. Magic never had the physicality of Lebron either while at least Hill had a pretty downhill game.

I dunno. Lebron's a pretty high-end distributor and game manager. He is just ALSO a very good scorer, and with physical tools Magic never enjoyed. Lebron's vision and technical passing ability don't really suffer in a comparison with Magic. And it isn't as if he HASN'T led the league in APG before. Magic was a career 13.2 FGA/g player. In part due to Kareem over the first half of his career, but also in part because he wasn't as capable as Lebron as far as scoring.

That's a lot of words for "Lebron showed comparable ability to Magic as a playmaker, but he had so many more tools that he was also a much, much, much better scoring weapon. And he didn't have Kareem to work with."

I see what you mean about Hill, though. Lebron's bigger, and a better shooter, but for the first half of Lebron's career, "Bigger Grant Hill" is a strong comparison.

I've always felt that Magic was a clear step above Lebron as a passer/setup guy, or at least just a much more natural at it. Maybe a better way to describe it is that Lebron is at his core a forward who also is great at passing, while Magic is a point guard who also is forward sized. Don't want to boil things down to box scores either, but Magic in his prime produced more assists than Lebron did at basically any point in his career.

But I do also feel that if Lebron has grown up in Magic's shoes his game would probably look much more like Magic's did, where the opposite may not be true.

[tsherkin]

I've always felt that Magic was a clear step above Lebron as a passer/setup guy, or at least just a much more natural at it.

I dunno that I have seen that, personally.

Maybe a better way to describe it is that Lebron is at his core a forward who also is great at passing, while Magic is a point guard who also is forward sized. Don't want to boil things down to box scores either, but Magic in his prime produced more assists than Lebron did at basically any point in his career.

Right, but he was a 13 FGA/g guy and Lebron's a 19.6 FGA/g guy on his career. There is generally speaking a pretty linear relationship between assist production and shooting volume, with but few exceptions. Everyone and their mother was raving about Lebron's vision and passing from when he was in junior high on forward. He's made passes which stand up with the very best of Magic's highlights. He is just ALSO a far better scorer and a much better athlete.

[mikejames23]

Resembles Magic and Luka (though Luka is heavily downgraded version of Bron). On top you need to add a lot of athleticism, kind of like a Dr J athletic God.

[AStark1993]

Dominique Wilkins.

Trolling will not be long tolerated here, fyi.

What’s so crazy about that comparison? Both Small Forwards, similar body types, both extremely athletic, and similar stat lines. If moderators are dishing out cheap shot replies like that then maybe this isn't the site for me. See ya.

[falcolombardi]

Wade is as good a comparision as any

Is he? Wade wasn't the same level of playmaker, didn't have the same kind of size, never developed a 3pt shot of consequence. He had powerful physical tools and drove a lot, sure, but like, that's not the only element of Lebron's game. I think Wade is a pretty superficial comparison, tbh.

e8,

No one but maybe one other dude is comparable to lebron among perimeter players, any wing who is similar in some ways will be lacking in others, otherwise they would be goat level players too

Wade was the most similgr to 2000's lebron pre miami who overwhelmed teams by combining size and speed as a lead ball handler. He even is similar in some ways defensively as a better rim protector than his position would suggest

[tsherkin]

Wade was the most similgr to 2000's lebron pre miami who overwhelmed teams by combining size and speed as a lead ball handler. He even is similar in some ways defensively as a better rim protector than his position would suggest

For a short time, that was true, sure. But Lebron's career has gone on so long that such a comparison doesn't even cover his prime, let alone the current stage of his career, you know?

[DCasey91]

It's Wade. They are both bullies with crazy speed and threw their weight around. Shot blockers on the weak side? Yes

The lefu pull up3? Yes Wade as well neither we're great shooters. Heck both are sub 40% outside midrange

It's always Wade guys no use overthinking it.

None of the guys getting mentioned would start beyond 3pt line and truck a few guys over and slam it down.

Bron did that... In his prime a lot.

Watch on YouTube

I mean this isn't a hard thought process

[ardee]

Grant Hill has always been the guy for me, especially earlier in his career. Naturally as Lebron's game has evolved it's been less strong but I still think of all the guys I've seen play he's the one who approaches things most similar to Lebron. Magic was much more of a distributor and a true PG to me. Lebron despite his passing ability has always been a primarily a scorer who also passes rather than the opposite. Magic never had the physicality of Lebron either while at least Hill had a pretty downhill game.

I would say Hill too, though I wouldn't say he had LeBron's aggression as a scorer either until his final year pre-injury.

Another option is Miami Jimmy Butler. A bit smaller than Bron but does have the total package on offense when healthy.

[One_and_Done]

He's a pretty unique player in NBA history. He's basically what you get it you combined the best parts of most of those players, then made an even bigger, better and more durable version.