Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 11:01 am  |  114 responses

Top 50: LeBron James, no. 1

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players for ’12-13.

by Ryan Jones / @thefarmerjones

LeBron “liked” to win. When he loved to win more than just about anything, when he couldn’t accept the alternative, then he could think about joining the icons. Until then, he still had goals to reach for.

I wrote those words a long time ago. I wrote them about a lanky, 16-year-old high school sophomore. I was writing about a player whose coach was already comparing him to Magic Johnson, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant.

Keith Dambrot is in his ninth season as the head coach at the University of Akron, but when I met him back in 2001, he was coming off a second straight Ohio state championship at Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary HS. He’d been coaching LeBron for a few years by then, through middle-school workouts and during his first two seasons of high school ball. Hoops-wise, Dambrot knew LeBron as well as anyone.

“Most guys who dominate at his age do it athletically, but LeBron has done it with skills and knowledge,” Dambrot said. This was in the late spring of LeBron’s sophomore year, and we were in the St. V gym, watching LeBron and a mix of high school teammates and local college kids in a ragged, out-of-season pick-up run. “He’s just got great knowledge. He just understands the game. A lot of it’s instinct, but the other thing is, he’s very bright. In order to get better at the game, you’ve gotta be able to learn. The guy is amazing from that perspective.”

One of the things that always struck me about my first meeting with Dambrot was how blunt he was regarding LeBron’s potential. Even as he acknowledged the young player’s weaknesses—an occasional tendency to coast defensively, to not rebound as aggressively as he could—Dambrot refused to shy away from predicting greatness. “He does everything,” the coach said. “He just needs to fine-tune.”

Dambrot spoke to LeBron’s mental toughness, how he each year he’d seen LeBron become a more determined competitor; the coach’s exact words were, “The guy likes to win.” I don’t remember if I picked up on Dambrot’s body language, or if he said something more specific that I failed to write down. All I know is that he never said LeBron loved to win, or that he hated to lose. More than a decade later, I’m left with the vague sense that Dambrot was implying just that.

When he loved to win more than just about anything… then he could think about joining the icons.

Like I said, I wrote that a long time ago.


Where should LeBron James rank in the SLAMonline Top 50?

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SLAMonline Top 50 Players 2012
Rank Player Team Position Pos. Rank
50 Greg Monroe Pistons C 8
49 Tyreke Evans Kings PG 14
48 Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 13
47 Stephen Curry Warriors PG 12
46 Ricky Rubio TWolves PG 11
45 Al Jefferson Jazz PF 14
44 Anthony Davis Hornets PF 13
43 Serge Ibaka Thunder PF 12
42 Al Horford Hawks C 7
41 Ty Lawson Nuggets PG 10
40 Danny Granger Pacers SF 6
39 Tim Duncan Spurs PF 11
38 John Wall Wizards PG 9
37 Monta Ellis Bucks SG 8
36 Zach Randolph Grizzlies PF 10
35 Roy Hibbert Pacers C 6
34 Tyson Chandler Knicks C 5
33 Eric Gordon Hornets SG 7
32 Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 9
31 Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 6
30 Amar’e Stoudemire Knicks PF 8
29 Marc Gasol Grizzlies C 4
28 DeMarcus Cousins Kings C 3
27 Paul Pierce Celtics SF 5
26 Andre Iguodala Nuggets SG 5
25 Rudy Gay Grizzlies SF 4
24 Josh Smith Hawks PF 7
23 Derrick Rose Bulls PG 8
22 Joe Johnson Nets SG 4
21 Steve Nash Lakers PG 7
20 James Harden Thunder SG 3
19 Pau Gasol Lakers PF 6
18 Chris Bosh Heat PF 5
17 Kyrie Irving Cavs PG 6
16 LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers PF 4
15 Tony Parker Spurs PG 5
14 Dirk Nowitzki Mavs PF 3
13 Andrew Bynum Sixers C 2
12 Blake Griffin Clippers PF 2
11 Kevin Love TWolves PF 1
10 Carmelo Anthony Knicks SF 3
9 Russell Westbrook Thunder PG 4
8 Rajon Rondo Celtics PG 3
7 Deron Williams Nets PG 2
6 Dwyane Wade Heat SG 2
5 Dwight Howard Lakers C 1
4 Kobe Bryant Lakers SG 1
3 Chris Paul Clippers PG 1
2 Kevin Durant Thunder SF 2
1 LeBron James Heat SF 1

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’12-13 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Jake Appleman, Maurice Bobb, Rodger Bohn, Brendan Bowers, Franklyn Calle, David Cassilo, Bryan Crawford, Adam Figman, Eldon Khorshidi, Eddie Maisonet III, Ryne Nelson, Ben Osborne, Allen Powell II, Sam Rubenstein, Jonathan Santiago, Abe Schwadron, Leo Sepkowitz, Dave Spahn, Ben Taylor, Tzvi Twersky, Peter Walsh, Tracy Weissenberg, Yaron Weitzman, DeMarco Williams and Dave Zirin.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • shockexchange

    The Shock Exchange highly doubts that. “The Rules” hold the key to the NBA chip. If they fall into the wrong hands … then … the Shock Exchange shudders at the thought.

  • Patrick

    Wish they would have switched things up a bit and put Durant at number 1. After I saw Kobe at 4 I didn’t think they were reasoning in defense

  • The Philosopher

    LONG… LIVE… THE KING!

  • Lorne

    I’m sure he doesn’t believe things like that. I think it’s weird that you guys put so much energy into refuting some of his comments. He probably gets a kick out of getting under your skin and you all fall for it every time.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    naw, if you actually read his comments you would know he is serious, or trying to portray to everyone else that he’s serious. “he” went as far as to say EVERYTHING he said on this website is not only true, but backed up with evidence in his book. You should buy it. Because that’s what he wants.

  • LakeShow

    5 rings.
    6 rings isn’t till June of this year.

  • Lorne

    I do read them. I get the vibe that he’s about to burst out laughing as he writes. I’ll believe he’s serious when I get confirmation he’s in a mental ward.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    you are sure why? you just assume he’s being sarcastic while marketing his book? i highly doubt a person trying to sell a book would purposefully look like a crazy moron. and it’s not even the person who wrote the book doing this self destruction, it’s his son.

  • Caboose

    Ok? I’m sure he does. Doesn’t change the fact that I know the game 100x better than you. Speaking of, I haven’t heard you give a basketball opinion yet, thus far you’ve only trolled me. What an exciting life you lead.

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Paul Pierce, a top 30 player, had a mild sprain of his big toe that he had hurt towards the end of the season. DWade, a top 6 player was playing on a knee that required surgery and Bosh, a top 18 player missed the first 5 games of the series. To suggest that Boston lost because of injuries is a poor excuse.

  • Lorne

    When people are trying to sell things, they never do or say outrageous things, right? I mean, people never use the saying “any publicity is good publicity”. He’s getting exactly the attention he wants. If you doubt that people trying to sell books don’t act crazy or say crazy things then I can’t stress enough how naïve you are.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    so what you don’t understand is context? there is a such thing as bad publicity. If you are trying to sell something, something serious like this book, and the author (or a person pretending to be the author) is damaging the credibility of the book & person who wrote it, they will sell less copies. It’s not like he’s acting crazy in spirit of what the book is about. And it’s not like he’s being a moron in a way that makes the book interesting. Plus, on a few different occasions i have called him out on him being ridiculous, and he has ceded the point. If he gets you to buy his book with the way he’s acting on this website, great for him. He roped in a person and in a way succeeded. But, the majority of people reading him here think he’s crazy and have no interest in his book. Especially with all the lying he has done.

  • shockexchange

    Look up the SLAM discussion rules and you will see that this guy is “trolling” me. It’s really not that deep.

  • Lorne

    I understand context well, and in today’s world nearly anything goes. The fact that you even know that his book has nothing to do with what he talks about on here means he’s already accomplished something: You pay enough attention to him that you at least know the bare minimum about the book. People sell products that have nothing to do with their outrageous behavior and personas all the time. We wouldn’t know what the hell a Kardashian chic was if what I was saying isn’t true. Or dumbass Jessica Simpson, who i found out is making millions off of chics like my sister while selling shoes. You can hate him all you want but he’s playing you guys like a fiddle around here.

  • RKJ92

    (91%, 335 Votes) – The smart commentors

    (9%, 32 Votes) – The unintelligent, and trolls (I hear The Seed is leading this group of voters)

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Uhm, we know who the Kardashians are because the best looking of them sucked Ray J’s d*ck on camera. The fact that people buy their products has to do with the lifestyle they see on TV. Not their outrageous behavior (i too have an easy to impress sister).
    .
    And considering you said you’ve read what Shock Exchange has said on this site, i assume you’ve read enough of what i said to figure out that your comment isn’t very accurate…right?
    .
    i mean, when don’t i try and find out all of the information possible to try and convey a realistic perspective on the conversations i am taking part in? ofcourse i was going to research SE and all the sh*t he says. if i didn’t (which i’m sure he rather i didn’t) – there would be nobody here setting his story straight. or here to refute what he says when he contradicts himself, or lies about something he’s said previously. Especially on the actual SLAM page about his book. — In no way is me knowing about his book a positive thing for him. I’m sure not going to buy it, and i obviously have been highlighting all of the reasons not to buy it.
    .
    and it’s not like i just go off on the shock exchange for no reason. all i said here, before i started replying to you, was “smh” — on the actual Shock Exchange book page, i only commented after my name was brought into the situation. I didn’t volunteer any information without motivation to do so. It’s not a vendetta to tell people the truth or to set the record straight about something.

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    Um, have you met The Seed?
    Shock Exchange can be mildly annoying, but it’s not like anyone is really going to believe he is giving advice to LeBron. You don’t see Worldwide Wes posting on SLAM, do you?

  • Dingo

    Thank goodness for Lebron, man I love watching him play, I love the journey I’ve been on following his career out of high school, the guy is giving me memories that I can look back on the same way I do with MJ now. Many things are forgotten over the years, some things always remain and what he can do now feels like the start of a dominating 5 years individually. I look forward to the ride and records, the good and the tough times.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    You don’t see The Seed trying to dupe people into buying a book by misleading them, do you?
    - and i fully believe some people will believe a person if nobody is there to call out their bullsh*t. People are naive.

  • Brion

    Ya they do ,BUT, anyone who consistently refers to themselves in the 3rd person is asking for it despite anything else.

  • bike

    LeBron has the potential to be the G.O.A.T.

  • Chukaz

    Wow. I’m shocked. On the day this was supposed to come out (today, obviously), i found myself wondering if a mistake had been made. Kevin Durant, LeBron AND Dermar DeRozan had yet to be named. 2 spots. 3 men left. How could this be? Was Kevin Durant not in the top 50? Was LeBron not in the top 50? You just knew DeRozan would be ranked somewhere around here so it couldn’t be him getting left out, could it? Hod did DeRozan get overlooked? Is this really happening? I’m in awe.

  • aicomeback

    wow you put that exactly as what i wouldve done cept i think nash is fine where he is

  • bigA

    “I didn’t know that playing basketball games helped me watch NBA games and read stats better.”

    I am not even criticizing boogie123 because he seems to be a hopeless loser but please don’t let him lead you into saying stupid stuff like that.

  • shockexchange

    This guy is trolling me … plain and simple. He talks about the Shock Exchange and my book more than he comments on the articles presented.

  • Caboose

    The knock against Nash is defense

  • LakeShow

    F*ckin incredible.

  • LakeShow

    I like how this Lorne fella spends half his day trying to stop you from spending half your day doing something…
    awesome website we live in here. lol

  • justin05

    That’s what I was thinking…Caboose just wanting to rant about Kobe some more is all. I honestly believe that most of the ppl who voted for Lebron as lower than 1 are Durant fans/hopefuls. We are Lakers fans but I voted lebron at 1 and Kobe at 4, consistent w/ SLAM.

  • justin05

    You have to admit that you dislike Kobe enough to keep posting about him. That makes you somewhat of a hater but the 6 rins and #1 comment is immature..Kobe is a top 5 player in the L but not #1, not even close. Btw..you should take nerd as a compliment, it means you are smart. Doesn’t mean you know the game of basketball as well as others however..

  • justin05

    lol Boogie you funny but don’t attack Caboose, it’s just an opinion. I’ve been preaching that real basketball players know the game better but some of these stats guys know more than you would think.

  • Caboose

    What I dislike is the fact that Kobe has some sort of “mystique” that allows him to surpass judgment by objective stats. Damn near every other player is subject to evaluation by what their numbers show they did, but for some reason, Kobe is not. He’s just “Kobe.” He is NOT a top 5 player in the L, and I will argue that vehemently. I’ve yet to hear a convincing argument for that, especially since EVERY stat outside of PPG is against the Kobe camp. And I know I am smart. Call me arrogant all you want, but I know I’m “book smarter” than most of the people on this site. Do I know basketball better than all of them? Of course not, which is why I WANT to be challenged. I WANT commenters here to prove me wrong, because I know that I know very little about basketball as a whole. The problem is that most people can’t come at me with anything stronger than my sarcastic comment above. This is why I respect the hell out of nbk, BYAMN, Drig, AllenP, Enigmatic, and Da-Meat-Hook because they have DIRECTLY proven me wrong. That’s what I want. Like Socrates quizzing the citizens of Athens, I want SLAM to show me something about basketball that I don’t know. And saying Kobe is a top 5 player doesn’t count.

  • justin05

    I agree w/ most of what you said. Kobe might be the most overrated athlete in sports but he is also the most feared (outside of Lebron now, of course). Stats don’t always tell who is really better and that is the only point I don’t agree w/ you on. Every team in the NBA wants to beat the Lakers and Kobe. Bryant’s opponents are always trying their hardest to defend him because they will stand out and could get more attention and/or playing time. Everyone wants to stop Kobe. Every night. The guy hardly ever gets a break yet he still manages to put up great numbers and obtain Ws for his team. I understand it takes more than just him to win and I also comprehend the fact that other all-star players get pressured on many nights but Kobe is just the most feared/disliked. His opponent is always gunning for him, and it shows in his statline. Therfore, the opinion that Kobe isn’t as great as a few other players because his statistics aren’t as good is gibberish. Numbers don’t lie but they don’t tell the whole story either.

  • Caboose

    Do you genuinely believe that players gun for Kobe more than for the Thunder? The Celtics? The Bulls? Or is that just something that the ESPN media machine has told you? Everything you just said is purely subjective, and THAT is where we disagree. You accept subjectivity. I do not. How often do I interject “opinion” and “speculation” into my arguments? I don’t. I interpret the facts that are presented before me. Unfortunately, I don’t respect the opposite, where arguments are built into facts, like what your previous post was.

  • justin05

    There isn’t always a factual or definitive answer for everything Caboose. The debate ended for me when Slam made their decision so we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I was just trying to get you to see the other side a little bit..Kobe has more pressure on his shoulders than any guy (other than LBJ) in the League and I don’t believe that stats show the whole picture. I don’t spend my time researching stats because I don’t care about them. Right now I’m just hoping the Lakers can start their season off right. Kobe vs. Wade and the facts vs. subjectives argument is irrelevent to me because I just want to see the Lakers perform as well as they can. June is a great month.

  • The Seed

    Lebron is number 1 to everyone now, because OKC game him a ring. Wow, now all these commercials acting like Lebron is new. Lebron played his friend and asked him to play with no fire for the entire NBA Finals, then cry to your mom like you hate losing. Then the plan was to meet up this summer and talk about their plan during workouts. Now Lebron knows KD is his best firend.

  • Ben Osborne

    Thanks Ryan.

  • Bored

    i think Josh Smith is much too low. Im also bemused by the fact that Blake is 12 and KG is 32.

  • Bored

    haha @Shifty whhaaatt?

  • Bored

    haha I almost feel like this guy is trolling. are you @manu? can you be this stupid?

  • Bored

    I just read this whole thing. so funny. @disqus_rOeXXBD2qs:disqus @rkj92:disqus thanks for the heads up. I always thought the shock exchange was kidding around. I cant believe its a real crazy person! @8d8b5bc9a10125505a51b2ac317b0252:disqus smh. Thanks SLAM!

  • RKJ92

    Ya C0CK Exchange is messed up bro.. he talks in 3rd person so much you would think dude had schizophrenia..

  • Bored

    haha, he probably has more people in his mind than he has reading that book.

  • RKJ92

    I wouldn’t doubt it dude.. nobody normal refers to them self in the 3rd person i’m sorry.. lol…

  • Caboose

    What side are you trying to get me to see? The one that utilizes subjectivity and tautological arguments to prove points? I have no respect for an argument that is based on one person’s opinion and “views” versus objectivity. I won’t “agree to disagree” that both my argumentative style and that of the other side are equal. They are not. One is the founding principle of logic. The other is the founding principle of mythology. Take your pick.

  • fifty

    no option better than no.1 :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/CikowskiTed Ted Cikowski

    Lebron is clearly #1 by a mile, it’s not even close. Kevin Love should be in the top 10 though and I might switch Dwight and Kobe on this list.

  • Dagger

    BOOK IT!

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    right?!?!

  • aicomeback

    ahh i see its just to me outside of athleticism hes basically offensively perfect and hes efficent about it too

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