Depending on whom one talks to, LeBron James is considered the greatest, second-greatest or third-greatest player in NBA history — or at least one of the five greatest players ever.
But there are some prominent voices in the media who are starting to rank the Los Angeles Lakers superstar lower than they used to.
One is former NBA guard Jay Williams, who on ESPN on Thursday explained his reasoning for not wanting to consider the four-time MVP the G.O.A.T. any longer while also criticising how he handled the final play in regulation against the Houston Rockets the previous evening.
“When you have a chance to bully your man to the rim and finish the game in regulation, but you decide to pass the ball to Carmelo Anthony, I want to quit the argument,” Williams said. “I throw my hands up. I’m just like, ‘That’s what people are going to use against you, LeBron.’ Just punish the guy at the rim. That’s who I think you are, but it is not who you are, and it kills the whole argument about him being a G.O.A.T.,”
On the play, with the game tied at 120, James drove to the basket past Eric Gordon when he encountered David Nwaba. James got past Nwaba and found himself just past the basket, and some felt he could’ve and should’ve shot a reverse layup at that moment.
Instead, he passed the ball to Carmelo Anthony, who was open for a split second, but had to fake the long jumper before shooting it. It missed, and the Lakers fell apart in overtime for a 139-130 loss.
Although James had a triple-double, he played poorly, shooting just 9-of-26 from the field.
On the season, he is averaging 29.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field, ridiculous numbers for a 37-year-old with the kind of mileage he possesses.
If the Lakers had one of the best records in the NBA, he would undoubtedly be a frontrunner for the MVP award. Instead, they sit at 28-37 and are clinging to the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.
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