{"id":97814,"date":"2024-09-26T10:27:27","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T14:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=97814"},"modified":"2024-10-01T16:55:49","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T20:55:49","slug":"top-25-nba-players-2024-25-no-11-lebron-james","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/26\/top-25-nba-players-2024-25-no-11-lebron-james\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 25 NBA Players 2024-25: No. 11 \u2013 LeBron James"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nearing the top 10 of our <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/25\/top-25-nba-players-2024-25-no-12-anthony-davis\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">top 25<\/a> rankings, we arrive at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-09-28_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James<\/a>. The Los Angeles Lakers star has had an absurd stretch of dominance over the past 20 years. LeBron&#8217;s elite all-around skill set, basketball IQ, and physical traits have allowed for an unprecedented amount of longevity. Let&#8217;s dive into LeBron&#8217;s game and spot on this list.<\/p>\n<h2>Top 25 NBA Players 2024-25: No. 11 \u2013 LeBron James<\/h2>\n<h3>An All-Time Great and Basketball Legend<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeBron has a strong case as the greatest basketball player of all time. His speed, strength, athleticism, shot creation, playmaking, finishing, and IQ\u00a0give him one of the most unique yet complete skill sets the game has ever seen. Entering his 22nd season, LeBron still possesses all the skills that made him the best player in the league for a decade. Of course, there has been some natural decline in athleticism and defender, however, LeBron is still an elite athlete and has adapted his game to sustain success. LeBron\u2019s incredible basketball IQ has been a major factor in his unmatched longevity. In the Olympics, LeBron showed he is still one of the best stars. Notably, LeBron led <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/12\/lebron-james-opens-up-after-beating-out-superstars-for-mvp\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Team USA<\/a> to a gold medal and won MVP. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiba.basketball\/en\/events\/mens-olympic-basketball-tournament-paris-2024\/teams\/usa\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">led<\/a> the team in rebounds and assists while being the second-leading scorer.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">LeBron James&#8217; Legendary resume:<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 3x Gold Medalist<br \/>\n\u2014 All-Time Scoring Leader<br \/>\n\u2014 Top 4 in Assists<br \/>\n\u2014 20x All-Star<br \/>\n\u2014 20x AIl-NBA<br \/>\n\u2014 10x Finals<br \/>\n\u2014 6x All-Defense<br \/>\n\u2014 4x MVP<br \/>\n\u2014 4x NBA Champ<br \/>\n\u2014 4x FMVP<br \/>\n\u2014 3x AS MVP<br \/>\n\u2014 1x Scoring Leader<br \/>\n\u2014 1x Assist Leader<br \/>\n\u2014 1x IST Champ<br \/>\n\u2014 1x IST MVP<br \/>\n\u2014 ROTY<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc10. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5AqfcF9VWU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/5AqfcF9VWU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 BronMuse (@BronMuse) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BronMuse\/status\/1822864163208868328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 12, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<strong>Season Recap<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With an incredible 21st season, LeBron continued to challenge Father Time. James posted well-rounded averages of 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists on 54\/41\/75 shooting splits. Impressively, LeBron made his 20th straight All-NBA and All-Star team,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/awards\/all_star_by_player.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">both<\/a>\u00a0are NBA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/awards\/all_league_by_player.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">records<\/a>. Notably, his 41 percent from three was a career-high. Additionally, LeBron shot 46.3 percent on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/awards\/all_league_by_player.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">catch-and-shoot<\/a> threes. The Lakers season started with promise as they won the NBA\u2019s inaugural In-Season Tournament. LeBron also ranked within the top 10 for estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/dunksandthrees.com\/epm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plus\/minus<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/leagues\/NBA_2024_advanced.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">VORP<\/a>. The Lakers offense was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/team\/1610612747\/onoffcourt-summary?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DIFF_OFF_RATING\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">+8.9<\/a> with LeBron on the court.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this, along with excellent play from LeBron and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-09-28_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a>, the Lakers finished as a 7-seed. Questionable spacing, as well as a lack of shot creators outside LeBron and AD, were central to the Lakers&#8217; shortcomings. Ultimately, they lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round. In the playoffs, LeBron put up stellar averages of 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 2.4 steals on 56.6\/38.5\/73.9 shooting splits. While the Lakers fell short of title contention, LeBron\u2019s level of play at this stage of his career is truly incredible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why LeBron James Is A Basketball Genius\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yTqPtbkPNPg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Season Outlook<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers are entering the season with a very similar roster. Their only additions are draft picks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/knechda01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-09-28_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dalton Knecht<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesbr02.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-09-28_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bronny James<\/a> and free agent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kolokch01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-09-28_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christian Koloko<\/a>. Much of the coverage will be around the first-ever father-son duo, which admittedly is an awesome story. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/25\/jj-redick-lakers-rookie-dalton-knecht-could-earn-rotation-spot-next-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Knecht<\/a> will be the most impactful addition, especially with his knock-down <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/05\/04\/dalton-knecht-2024-nba-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">shooting<\/a> abilities. While the Lakers didn\u2019t make any roster changes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/redicjj01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-09-28_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JJ Redick<\/a>\u2019s hiring was certainly notable. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/06\/24\/lakers-introduce-jj-redick-as-head-coach-three-takeaways\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Redick<\/a> will bring a more free-flowing offense with an emphasis on three-point shooting. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Redick has discussed using LeBron more <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/23\/nba-business-off-ball-lebron-means-more-money-for-the-lakers-and-nba\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">off-ball<\/a>; this is logical considering James\u2019 evolution as a shooter, and it allows him to conserve energy. LeBron will turn 40 in December making this change necessary. LeBron\u2019s raw scoring numbers will likely hover around the same range or slightly dip however, it\u2019s possible his three-point percentage and attempts both increase. To be title contenders the Lakers are dependent on another big season from LeBron and AD along with Redick greatly improving the offense.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Last Word\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11 might seem too low for LeBron however, this shouldn\u2019t be taken as a slight what he is doing at his advanced age is truly remarkable. A case can certainly be made for LeBron to be as high as five. Ultimately, the league is so deep and rankings are extremely close. LeBron still offers multiple elite skills however, throughout an 82-game the stars above him are better suited to carry a team in 2024. Regardless, LeBron\u2019s absurd longevity is beyond incredible; he is a true anomaly; we&#8217;ve never seen anything like him and never will again. As LeBron\u2019s career winds down please don\u2019t take this all-time great for granted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Keep up with our top 25 list <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?s=Top+25+NBA+Players+2024-25\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nearing the top 10 of our top 25 rankings, we arrive at\u00a0LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers star has had an absurd stretch of dominance over the past 20 years. LeBron&#8217;s elite all-around skill set, basketball IQ, and physical traits have allowed for an unprecedented amount of longevity. Let&#8217;s dive into LeBron&#8217;s game and spot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4779,"featured_media":97848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,26],"tags":[38,5031,49488],"class_list":["post-97814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-lakers","tag-lebron-james","tag-nba-player-rankings","tag-top-25-nba-players-2024-25"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4779"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}