LeBron James’ Best Year Yet?

ESPN

Picture+of+LeBron+James+with+his+Cleveland+Cavaliers+jersey.

USA Today

Picture of LeBron James with his Cleveland Cavaliers jersey.

Daymara Fernandez, Staff Writer

Playing as a multi-appearance All-Star shooting guard/small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it is no surprise that LeBron James gets so much attention, especially considering he is one of the highest performing and most recognized NBA (National Basketball Association) players of all time. Whether you are a fan of the game, the players, or the teams, there is no denying that LeBron James has embarked upon a remarkable season.

Although LeBron did bounce between the Cavaliers to the Miami Heat and then back to the Cavaliers, his overall performance has been at a consistent peak. Basketball-lovers and non-lovers alike, have witnessed the unexpected as his career and his numbers ascend to the highest they have been in years. He is even considered the MVP of not just the team, but the entire professional basketball league in the early stages of the season.

“LeBron is a true king of the game with unnatural ability. He is 32 and still keeps getting better with this season even making a case for MVP. He really is the king and will go down as the greatest of all time,” sophomore Kamir Larin said.

However, the Cleveland Cavaliers started off this season struggling as an entity. They began the 2017-18 season with a win-loss record of 3-3. Their defense statistics started at the lowest in the last forty years, despite the offensive successes of opposing teams. This is not to mention that players have been injured and replaced, like Derrick Rose and former Celtic, Isaiah Thomas. However, the new eight players have better adjusted to the other team members and having LeBron James on their team only makes them a threat to their opposition. As proof, they have won 13 of their last 14 games, all of which were consecutive wins -seven wins at home, and six on the road- and they only intend on stockpiling more. Moreover, the Cleveland Cavaliers are ranked third only comparable to the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors.

“There is a strong plurality around the league, including within the Warriors, that thinks Cleveland is more dangerous with defense-first role players around LeBron…” ESPN reporter Zach Lowe said.

Being ranked as his fourth greatest season of his entire life at age 32, LeBron has gone through twenty-three consecutive games. He has scored an average of 28.3 points per game,  8.7 assists, and has even won a player of the month award. He also has some of the most efficient shooting ever for his playing career with a .663 field goal percentage.

“I personally am not a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers and do not really like LeBron James. On the other hand, his skill and technique are great, so I can not say anything bad about that. His season this year is looking good. He could probably get more rebounds, but his scoring and defense are incredible. Overall, this season has been great and I have little to criticize,” freshman Madeline Cohen said.

While we all wish he kept playing for our Floridian team, there is no such luck. Either way, LeBron does not plan on stopping his streak of success any time soon. At this rate, it is presumed that he will surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest NBA player ever. The show isn’t over yet, all that’s left to do is watch.