Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 am  |  338 responses

Top 50: LeBron James, no. 1

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.

by Myles Brown/@mdotbrownLeBron James

The ballots were cast, counted, and a victor has been decided.

LeBron Raymone James is now the best player in basketball.

There, that was easy. Or was it?

It certainly appears to be a concise and declarative statement. But as with almost all other things regarding the great debate, this too is subject to interpretation.

What exactly is now? Just this very moment, as in right now? These present times and the foreseeable future, as in nowadays? Perhaps something tentative or undefined, as in now and again?

Time is of the essence in this industry. The past was once now and the future soon will be. Those who’ve aren’t willing to wait any longer believe their time is now. Those who aren’t ready to leave believe their time is still now. Problem is, no one knows how long now will last.

It’s no secret that each time we compile one of these lists much ado is made of the criteria. Is it based on last year, next year or an entire career? The answer would seem to lie in another concise and declarative statement: Rankings are based solely on projected 09-10 performance. But it’s not always easy to separate the three. Anything a player is deemed capable of doing in the future is based entirely on what they’ve done in the past. Being the best is not a proclamation, it’s a journey and destination.

And what is it to be the best anyway? Is it the most advantageous player, the most suitable player or the most desirable? We were spoiled for a decade by the unquestionable legacy of Michael Jordan, because he was all three. He was the most advantageous player because he was the most talented and fundamentally sound. Coupling those advantages with a keen intellect and an indomitable will made him the most suitable player to lead a team. The dynasty that ensued made it downright silly to desire anyone else.

Since he’s left us, these titles have been fragmented. But LeBron James could unify them and put all the semantics to rest if he’d just win a championship.

He holds a very special place in both the current and historical hierarchy. He’s the most ready made prep to pro player ever, who somehow managed to exceed the hype in leading his hometown team from the doldrums of irrelevance. He’s an unprecedented package of size, skill and athleticism, as close to a one man team as we’ve ever seen. While Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade have seemingly recaptured the essence of what made Jordan great, LeBron has redirected the collective consciousness to what is possible beyond that lengthy shadow. Triple double averages, Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league in scoring and assists, you name it. Nothing is unquestionably beyond his grasp.

Which is why it’s so maddening to see him fall short. He still hasn’t found the consistency with his midrange jumper. He has yet to shoot 80% from the line. His footwork is pedestrian and his post game is underdeveloped. These shouldn’t be the flaws of a seven year vet. Yet in spite of them, there still isn’t a team in the league that can truly stop him. Only four teams would even dare say they can contain him. But those four teams are what stand between him and indisputable greatness.

We’ve been at this for years. The awe, the anticipation, the inevitability of it all. For years he’s accelerated our expectations by exceeding them so easily, but the conversation has shifted from potential to production. He’s shown us he can do all but one thing. Every other year that it didn’t happen was nothing more than an inconvenience. This year if it doesn’t happen, it’s not only failure but possibly one of catastrophic proportions. In putting such pressure on the Cavaliers to build a contender he also put pressure on himself to produce a title. If he can’t achieve that in Cleveland, then he’s put pressure on himself to find somewhere he can.

LeBron Raymone James is the best player in basketball. But he has to win.

Now.

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’09-10 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Jake Appleman, Brett Ballantini, Russ Bengtson, Toney Blare, Shannon Booher, Myles Brown, Franklyn Calle, Gregory Dole, Emry DowningHall, Jonathan Evans, Adam Fleischer, Jeff Fox, Sherman Johnson, Aaron Kaplowitz, John Krolik, Holly MacKenzie, Ryne Nelson, Chris O’Leary, Ben Osborne, Alan Paul, Susan Price, Sam Rubenstein, Khalid Salaam, Kye Stephenson, Adam Sweeney, Vincent Thomas, Tzvi Twersky, Justin Walsh, Joey Whelan, Eric Woodyard, and Nima Zarrabi.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , ,

← Older Comments
  • Nbk

    Lebron skills aren’t as well rounded as Wade or Kobe – fact? SHow me the fact

  • Nbk

    I’ll make a case for lebron right now – lebron has more wins thn dwyane Wade regular season and playoffs. Lebron has had a better efficiency rating every year. He commits less turn overs, gives up less points, gets injured less (which does matter). Now for Dwayne Wade – he scores more points-(less efficiently) and won a title 3 years ago. Those are the only things you can say Wade does better then lebron (FACTUALLY)

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Lebron ahead of scalabrine? i know they’re different positions so it’s tough to compare, but whaaaaaaat?

  • Da Hood

    @360vue: School’em!

  • Nbk

    All 360vue is saying is if lebron and Dwayne Wade were the same size with the same athletic ability Wade would be better. Well that’s quite a fantasy. In reality LeBron’s skill-set + physical attributes make him the more complete player. Kobe fans can have their opinion with a very solid argument, butthere is no merit in saying Wade is better then bron. Unless you operate exclusively out of fantasy land

  • http://www.sixers.com 360vue

    To be honest, this has already become tedious, so I will break it down once and quickly; if Lebron James, the the 6’8 250lbs entity, had all of the ability that either Kobe or Wade possess on AND off the ball, some of which he already possess but not the whole package, then he would singlehandedly, irrevocably be the most complete player ever to have played the game. There wouldn’t even be the slightest bit of debate about it. He could and in my view probably will stil manage such a feat before the end of his NBA career, but to say he’s the best player in the NBA right now is in my opinion foolhardy and ignorant, and also probably indicative that you freely accept whatever the media presents before you without considering the motives and reasons behind it. Oh and once again NBK, you have successfully managed to interpret a post however you bloody well choose. I didn’t say Wade was a better player than Bron, I think its Kobe 1, Bron 2, Wade 3, but Wade certainly has a more rounded game, he is more multi-dimensional. Like I said before, Bron can be unstoppable in ways Wade can only dream of, but it doesn’t mean his game is more developed. However, I do think Wade was the real MVP over Bron last season.

  • http://www.sixers.com 360vue

    Oh and DWade scores less efficiently than Lebron? It’s statements like that make debating with you pointless. DWade has better FG% throughout his career, including FT%, with the exception of 3P% but he never took more than 80 in a season (which works out as less than one a game, whilst Lebron has shot more than 300 treys in all but his first season, whilst gathering only fractionally better 3P%) till the 08-09 season. Which Wade does all in less minutes and in general, with a worse complement of players around him?!? Yes my my, Lebron truly is a far more effecient scorer, he misses more frequently all whilst staying on the court on average for 180 minutes more a season. You need to look up the definition of effecient.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    well when you just take FG%. How bout effective field goal %? you care about that? How bout LeBron’s tendancy to draw more fouls? Oh and LeBron’s 20 LESS turnovers last season? that has to figure in. Oh and Dwayne Wade shoots 3 more shots per 48 minutes then LeBron. Oh and Wade has only had a better scoring average Lebron once in his career.

  • Da Hood

    Danny Ferry should be fired, and Mike Brown days are numbered.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    word to that

  • http://gmail Akash

    :{ He is awesome but he should be number 2.

  • Justin

    All you Kobe fans full of crap rings is a team success award everyone knows that Kobe does shoot better then lebron, lebron pases better then kobe rbs better and dont say size matter mj had better rebounding seasons then lebron kobe a joke overrated over exaggerated duncan has rings he has 2 mvps he not mention top 3 so if you put this in prospective rings is blinded because kobe cant carry a load like lebron he cant be not as consistent as lebron, kobe has very bed games lebron will turn bad games to great passing nights kobe will not do that hes not a threat for triple doubles lebron already got more then him their grown men kobe just isnt better. Rodman was the smallest forward he grab more rbs then malone and muntumbo.

  • Justin

    THAT IT

  • sousa662

    Listen for all the people who say that LeBron isn’t number one in the NBA just look at when they went to the finals who did he have on his team? The big Z and a bag of basketballs look who kobe had Gasol,Odom,Bynum,Fisher,Ariza just look when you got a former all-star like Lamar Odom coming of the bench your bound to win something when kobe had nobody he didn’t even make the playoffs you guys can talk all you want about winning championships but look at John Stockton and Karl Malone 2 guys who never won 1 and still they are 2 of the greatest players of all time so stop with the not winning a championship nonsense the guy is 24 years old and he has the NBA at the palm of his hand and if needed to hes capable of averaging ridiculous stats like he did in the east finals with 40ppg and also has 28 triple-doubles to kobes 16 in half the amount of games, and please dont mention his jump shot ok its not great we all know that but its getting better and for a guy who shoots a career 47% from the field it can only get better and for those people who say that its because he gets a lot of dunks and layups i say why shoot from 20 feet when you can shoot from 2 feet, not taking anything away from kobe but there are other players who fit his mold of skill and athleticism dwayne wade is an example, but never will you find me another LeBron James

  • Timy

    I like Kobe Bryant

  • kevin

    dude how many rings does lebron have?
    0! none!
    d-wade has one and kobe has 4!
    Top players
    1. KObe
    2. WAde
    3. LEbron
    4. MElo
    5. Bosh
    6. CP3
    7. Duncan
    8. Joe Johnson

  • http://mbuzzy.com joe salgado

    Kobe bryant most underrated player os all time throughout his career he has had to go tru bull w da media tring to compare players saying they were better than him vince carter allen iverson tmac shaq duncan dwade and now lebron . Lebron is a nice player but come on kobe has been doing his thing for a while and at the end of the day he is still da one left standing above the competition kobe kobe kobe people don’t want to believe that a player as good as jordan could come around so soon after his retirement how could u rate lebron ova kobe . Anyways kobe is allready proving u wrong with a broken finger and deep down in lebrons heart he knows kobe has an all around better skill set than he does but its just something kobe has lived tru his career kobe is better than lebron end of story!

  • http://mbuzzy.com joe salgado

    Typical kobe snub,we r still dealing with da same analyst and writers experts who ananimously gave the crown to jordan as greatest ever! I remember when kobe started doing his thing they would pit him against carter saying carter was better than kobe then it was the answer tmac etc now its lebron melo and wade but as long as we have this kobe bryant haterism by the media they always be ffinding excuses stats theories etc to not give bryant his due the best bball player is kobe bryant has been will be and at the end of this year ib think he will put this rivalruy to an end! Its kobe kobe kobe kobe all day kobe is da truth.

  • Elias

    This comes a little late, but I have to say this. A lot of people have commented that Lebron is the best all around player, Kobe is only a great scorer and so on. But I think that Kobe is the best all around player in the NBA now, Lebron is the best statistical all around player in the NBA. I mean look, Kobe shoots free throws at about 82%(it’s down a little this season because he has played with a fractured finger), Lebron has improved to 77% which is ok. And Kobe is better at 3s, yeah I know Lebron has the better % from deep this year, but the fractured finger has affected Kobe’s %. And the mid-range game, well there is no % to this but you know Kobe’s got it. Kobe’s the better post player, has better foot work. And Kobe’s the better defender. On the perimeter Kobe’s much better as a defender, steals come pretty equaly to these guys and then the blocks, Lebron is overrated with his blocks, I mean look he’s best block average of his career is 1.2 and people think he’s Dwight Howard. I know he’s blocks are spectaccular, but he’s not that good at it. Kobe averaged 1 bpg for one season, so Lebron has the edge on this one, but not by as much as people think. Athletically Lebron has the edge but Kobe’s pretty sick too. They’re both fast, quick, have hops, are strong, good enurance and they are rarely injured. Lebron has the edge necause of his size. Lebron is a little better passer, again his assits are overrated ’cause he’s a forward, but he’s a point forward so he has the ball alot, Kobe’s really a better passer than he’s given credit for ’cause of those few years. Rebounding is also a lot closer than people think. Lebron has better averages, but not by that much and he’s bigger. Kobe has the edge on pretty much all the fundamentals, he adds something every year and on top of that he tries to perfect it. Lebron has not showed THAT(he has improved every year, but he’s not the perfectionist as Kobe is) yet.

  • twenty-three

    whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of course yes.. lebron should be the no.1..
    he’s great and very pro for the fact that he’s still young.. new in nba.. (7yrs)
    though its hard to hold on and pull his team to the championship.. he’s works proves the greatness and pureness of being the best player
    yes, kobe is really good too.. but, compare him and lebron?? no offence.. but theres no doubt that lebron would surpass kobe’s works…
    he’s still young but indeed, greater.!

  • twenty-three

    whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of course yes.. lebron should be the no.1..
    he’s great and very pro for the fact that he’s still young.. new in nba.. (7yrs)
    though its hard to hold on and pull his team to the championship.. he’s works proves the greatness and pureness of being the best player
    yes, kobe is really good too.. but, compare him and lebron?? no offence.. but theres no doubt that lebron would surpass kobe’s works…
    theres no sense to count on how many rings did kobe or d.wade got! face it, try to put kobe in cleveland cavaliers without lebron.. bet he cant pull the team unlike of how lebron pulls the cavs now..he’s still young but indeed, greater.!

  • kkkkbbbb24

    how can lebron be no.1 if he can’t even win a championship game..

  • bill breedley

    number 1? boy cant even get out of the second round nowadays?

    big time choker who is nothing more than a stat stuffer. this kid mentally counts his rebounds and assists.

    he will be no 1 in the all time list of stars who never won a ring.

  • KB8

    When the list of players to win a ring contains Antoine Walker, but NOT Lebron (especially after 7, that’s right you all know, 7 seasons), then I think you need to go back and have a look at this list again. He may be the most PROMINENT player around just now, but that adds nothing to the argument that he is the best. Just saying. Go Lakers!!

  • KB8

    @Teddy-the-Bear

    ROTFLMAO- best comment of the year. You should get a prize (and I’ll have one for showing solidarity in this shark infested pool of haters).

    Say whaaaaaaaat?!

  • nastierthanu

    Kobe bryant mvp of the finals 2 yrs in a row. Slam u got it wrong.

  • johnpebenito

    i dont think lebron is better than kobe, a better athlete yes!! but no better baller, ask any nba player and they will contest this…ask michael jordan the GOAT, basketball is more than just stats, then Wilt will be the GOAT if were just going to use stats as a basis, from pure basketball stand point kobe is far ahead of any active nba player, everything should be considered the will,the passion,lonegevity as of now kobe is no.1 ,lebron has a lot of potential but thats just all potential, he can do triple doubles everytime for the reason that he always has the ball, if thats the basis then jason kidd is the best. were talking about basketball player and kobe has it all. but lebron will have his time if he can develop and try to improve his game like KOBES, lebron is so pre occupied with his brand as if he is michael jordan already, just let your game build your brand improve your game, your footwork not always rely on your atheliticism you will not go far with your athelticism, to be the best you also must have Lonegevity,you must feel the game. let your game build your brand, LEBRON = dominique wilkins KOBE = MJ
    those who really play basketball competitively knows whos the best and that is KOBE

  • bill breedley

    a sidekick cannot be the number one player in the NBA. really now? kobe, dwade and maybe dwight second. Sidekick is probably just top 20 now. Kobe is MJ 2.0, Sidekick is Dominique 0.5 ;)

  • http://slamonline.com The Black Rick Kamla

    @billbreedley, we already saw this sentiment completely flipside during last years playoffs, this whole nonsense that Lebron is better than Kobe will completely vanish by the start of next year ;)

  • Andre

    Are y’all f#@King kidding me,all the Bron did is lead the Cavs 2 the best team in the regular season and choke in the playoffs letting the C’s unfair them.KOBE BRYANT SHOULD BE #1 based on performance in as y’all said 09-10 season.The MAMBA HAS ANOTHER RING and that would make um 5 and Bron,um sorry prince James has um none and 2 wid out Shaq how ya like dem apples.

  • Mike from Spain

    Lebron does more than Kobe right now, but I like to watch Kobe than Lebron. Call it taste. I’d rather watch Rajon Rondo than, say Carmelo Anthony (not saying that their role is comparable, I am just saying what do I like to watch), rather Pau Gasol than D Howard. Do I think that the players I like are better? I don’t know so much… I don’t think I can say that.

  • robz

    for me after JORDAN/BULLS ERA my top 10 rankings…1)KOBE/young SHAQ lol (im a kobe hater but imagine no Gasol/Artest hiting final shots no 2x rings)…2)DWADE 3)LEBRON/young TMAC 4)MELO 5)D.HOWARD base n skill level but think of TIM DUNCAN…6)AMARE STOUDAMIRE/NASH 7)C.BOSH 8)CP3 9)D.ROSE 10)BRANDON ROY/RUSSELL WESTBROOK

  • http://Slam Ruach Tang

    Yezzzir he’ll prove it these next five years!!

  • jon

    his time better be now!! cus kevin durant isnt that far behind!

  • http://tvtropes.org Dev

    So who exactly are the four teams that can contain and stop James? Magic, Celts, Lakers, but who else? Mavs? Nugs? Spurs?

  • http://na DASSX3N

    IT IS ALL SUBJECTIVE!!!!WHOEVER U GOT….RIDE WIT UM! THAT SIMPLE! But just remember dis…NOBODY won it on their own! NOBODY!!CHUUCH!

  • vivian

    I have to say, why LeBron#1, cause lady first!!!

  • dan

    wow u guys r 1 of them this is bs kobe is older and lost a lot of athleticism
    he had injuries and hes still better than lebron in 4 years lebron will be even more garbage

← Older Comments
Advertisement