Detailed analysis of LeBron James at his best | Greatest Peaks Ep. 13
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.พ. 2021
- Support at Patreon: / thinkingbasketball
LeBron James won back-to-back MVPs in Miami in 2012 and 2013 while leading the Heatles to a championship. What made him so great at his best? What were his strengths and weaknesses as a scorer? How good was his passing? And was he really a strong defensive player of the year candidate as a defender?
This is the 13th episode in a series on the greatest peaks in NBA history (focusing on 1977-2020), featuring detailed scouting reports and film breakdown on the best players in NBA history at their best, along with analysis of their impact using historical data & stats to size up the highest peaking players ever.
-----
Book: www.amazon.com/Thinking-Baske...
Podcast: player.fm/series/thinking-bas... or at www.stitcher.com/podcast/ben-...
Website: www.backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
For more, see the Thinking Basketball stats series: • NBA Stats 101 Series
-----
Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
*SERIES MUSIC*
Bames Jond by Mikey Geiger
csus (instrumental)
Hair (fairlight)
Our Imperfect Place by Strength to Last
Lost by Alter Ego
Restless Knight by Greg Collins
Empire Season by Dan Henig
Confronting the Void by Cody Martin
Bloom by Bryant Lowry
Nemesis
#ThinkingBasketball #GreatestPeaks #NBAGoat - กีฬา
Life pro tip : it's ok to appreciate both mj and LeBron..
AGREED. Appreciate basketball greatness, no need to constantly compare players against each other!
If more people just appreciated greatness instead of getting defensive over their favorite player, we would achieve world peace.
I want to say this MJ had a better LEGACY and leBron had a better CAREER
It's also ok to believe in facts, and say Jordan is better.
@@Aash1r Pretty accurate, I been saying that for years
Never forget that in the 2016 Finals, LeBron lead not just his team, but BOTH teams in Pts, Rebs, Asts, Blks, and Stls.
That's when he became the goat
I’m a lebron hater but that’s wild 🔥👍🏼
@@michaelmilhizer688 Lol
@@michaelmilhizer688 lmaoo I like you. You just upfront with it.
"Hey guys I'm biased but..."
Shit made me laugh. Have a good one dog 🤣
Never forget how he gave up in Dallas…and San Antonio….never forget that moment not to mention ain’t that dude is why he cannot be even considered but if that was erased…he a Karl Malone that could run and jump….
What I love about this series is it doesn't just show every player playing perfectly. It's not a highlight reel. It shows them as players. Real players. You can see even the very best make mistakes.
I was thinking the same thing.
Exactly! As great as these peaks were even they made mistakes too!
Yea, 2012-13, after losing to the Mavs and training with Hakeem to develop postmoves, Bron was unstoppable. The chase down blocks were a thing of beauty. Rare to see an already dominate player improve their game that much. That’s why in his decline, he’s still one of the best. That says a lot about his prime.
I just wanted to come back to this comment, specifically because you said "in his decline". I don't blame you for thinking that at the time of making this comment, because I probably felt that way about him 8 months ago as well lol, but this season, he is striking some of the best form of his career period. It is absolutely inhuman and unheard of. He is inevitable and unimaginable. The greatest athlete I have ever seen, and his longevity is certainly a big part of it.
Yep what this guy didn't mention is Lebron would purposely let guard pass so he could chase down block them even in the half court. I also don't know why the video creator didn't mention him locking down Rose multiple times in the 4th. Matching him move by move. One last thing I am not sure this guy actually watched all the heat games. Because most know that the Heat would gradually turn up their defense as the game got closer to the end. They would do that because they did a lot of switching and played small ball. That was a way as to not burn out the players. So lebron may have gotten blown by in the 2nd courter. But that wasn't going to be a blow by in the 4th.
@@eddieungerer7185 I'd argue that's because LeBron simply took fewer shots in his prime. Consider 2009 LeBron, for example: he averaged ~35 ppg for the postseason and nigh 40 in the ECF, in a slower-paced era and with a less developed offensive kit. If you give him the same 22 fga he took this season in Miami or his second stint in Cleveland, he averages 30ppg minimum every season of his prime. He just opts to pass more because he's never been big on shooting that much unless he has to. He's never once taken the MJ approach and hoisted 30 shots per game in the finals-with the exception of 2015-and it's a good thing because of how much the offense would stagnate. LeBron knows how to be efficient while also getting his teammates involved, and his IQ/playmaking are what made me a fan of his in recent years. Unlike anyone else in the history of the game.
@@BlueGrovyle yes haha. theres that big discussion of whos the “goat”? but it has to be said that no one in that conversation has his playmaking and passing abilities (unless maybe you want to throw magic johnson into the mix). not saying he is the goat necessarily but its just something to think about.
@Dichang Feng because Bosh was overrated and Wade was always injured
The crazy thing about LeBron is that he’s still having what would be a peak season for most great players. He’s a different breed.
True !
@Yuvi A citation needed
@Yuvi A then the whole league would be, so still a different breed
@Yuvi A L
@@kevin4xscoringchampdurant767 😭
I swear this guy knows basketball more than a huge percentage of analysts
Not a huge percent, all of them. He is a better analyst than anybody that ever worked for espn or the sports media.
@@yungluluu Agreed, just trying to be somewhat respectful to them, but this guy opened up a new view on this sport that no one ever did
@@jovandoncevski fuck that. I’m not gonna respect analysts when they send the wrong message to the youth and non basketball fans. Never ever telling the truth always speaking in generalities. They don’t deserve your respect or my respect.
most of these television analysts probably dont even analyze anything, they're just "hot take" machines or showmen, most of the time only talking about these made up intangibles such as "being a dog" or "killer mentality"
@@vmrabello tbf that's what networks want,they don't want ben's insightful commentary,they want clicks.Rather if you check the non-sellouts out you'll find some good basketball minds there as well.I fear there isn't a pie where the money isn't mixed in,but guys like zach lowe,prime bill simmons and j.kyle mann can be downright inspiring,if not on the bleeding edge of statistical analysis.
2018 LeBron was so good, that I believe that the 2018 Bron was slightly better than 2013. His IQ was 100% his skill was elite. He hit every clutch shot needed, he was a great shooter, he was the best playmaker I have ever seen, and he had all of the athleticism he needed to dominate.
2018 lebron was unreal, the only time i was dumbfounded watching a player other than kobe
They called him *LeThanos* for a reason.
I don't think we'll ever see such a playoff performance again for a long, _long_ time.
I just think his defense in 2013 alone puts him above 2018 just because he really wasn’t as defensively active then, however in 2013 offensively he was on par or maybe even better then 2018 while also play DPOY caliber defense
2018 Lebron was something myth-like a-la Wilt.
also the time "LeBronto" happened. Man terrorized the east.
5:11 I'll never forget watching this live when his headband fell off and he activated his takeover meter at the same time. He played the entire ending of this game with a different level of energy I hadn't seen before
I call that the headband game
and ppl act like it was just ray allen saving them with that 3 in the corner...lebron TURNED TF UP when the headband fell off, it was gonna be the headband game before ray hit that 3
This should be a show on ESPN. Bless you for making these with such detail.
LBJ shoots 37.5% outside of 3 feet in the regular season and 35.9% outside of 3 feet in the post season for his career. He shots 38% from mid mid range for his career. In go ahead shots in the regular season and playoffs to win or tie the game in the last 5 seconds, Lebron is 19/95 for 20%. King James has shot under 40% in 5 different playoff series.
@@jessicalancaster4280 he’s waaaay over 40% rent free in your head
@@jessicalancaster4280 This entire comment reminds me of that Lenarr Young video where the LeBron hater just yelled stats from an Instagram comment.
Watch "MJ vs Lebron: the BEST Goat comparison" by DANGERProduction. By far the best and most comprehensive comparison that accounts for different eras and positions MJ and LBJ played. You will find MJ is way ahead of LBJ overall, he beats him in personal accolades/statistics/winning/clutchness/eye tests.
MJ does not need to jump ships to join with other star players to win chip, he stayed in one team and persevered, unlike LBJ who joined Wade/Bosh/Kyrie/Love/AD etc, not mentioning how many times he needs his teammates to bail him out in the finals (Irving, Allen, etc)
In MJ's 13 seasons vs LBJ's 17 seasons, MJ not only had more rings, but he was:
10 times scoring champ (LBJ 1),
9 times all defence 1st team (LBJ 5),
1 time DPOY (LBJ none),
6 times NBA Champ (LBJ 4),
6 times FMVP (LBJ 4),
5 times MVP (LBJ 4),
3 times steals leader (LBJ none),
2 times slamdunk champ (LBJ none),
not mentioning his rebounds (in contrary to public belief, MJ's ranking is higher amongst SGs than LBJ's ranking amongst SFs), win shares (MJ number 1), player efficiecny rating (MJ number 1), shooting percentage in clutch time (MJ 50% vs LBJ abysmal 20%) etc, way ahead of LBJ. The differences go on and on. The number of differences here speaks for itself.
Oh yes, since some dumb TV personalities such as N Wright, S Sharpe and C Cowherd like to use cumulative stats to push for LBJ's unworthy case (MJ joined NBA at 21 yo while LBJ joined at 18 yo), it would be fairer to include MJ's college accolades including: 1 x NCAA champ, 1 x freshman of the year, 2 x players of the year
@@MrJ9191 wow you just need to include MJ's college accomplishment where competition is much lower than the NBA. I know MJ won the award section but you know what, i ask you who is MJ competition at his position in his era? Lbj had the truth, the 🐍,the 🤖,PG and later maybe luka and Giannis at his position of course his numbers against his matchup were gonna be lower than MJs. Tell me who is his competition at his position? Drexler? Dumars? or you gonna point ainge? Cmon MJ is great so is Lebron too. Different players different era. For me MJ A1 LBJ B1
another thing about this season, lebron rarely fouled. He played DPOY defense with 2 fouls per game. Unreal
@@et4003 Not just not very good, terrible. Simply put, never use it.
@@JL-fh4qw Defensive metrics can be ehh... at times. You really need more film analysis than metrics.
@jaydexe DRTG is not the same as defense rating, the former is a box accumulated stat. Every elite defensive player performs consistently well in defense rating.
@@JL-fh4qw watch the games not the box scores
@@JL-fh4qw Just stop lol Lebron was robbed of DPOY that year. Gasol didnt even make 1st team all defense. Lebrons defensive metrics were great. Gasols numbers were only better because he played on the grit and grind grizzlies who played great team defense. Meanwhile Lebron had a bigger defensive load to carry and still was the best defender in the league
270lbs , that’s really wild that he was moving that fast at that weight.
He's one of the most physically gifted players ever, with state of the art training AND performance enhancing drugs. What do you expect, the NBA to tear down their image because their poster child is scummy? Same thing for MJ. He wasn't cheating, but was almost certainly betting on himself.
@@localneo-graphic4647 exactly,
@@localneo-graphic4647 The Olympics is neutral territory when it comes to drug testing. Put that myth to bed because you have no proof.
@@localneo-graphic4647 bro u tripping u even know what performance enhancing drugs do? just like steroids they dont make u better overnight, they growth so u still need to work ur ass off to actually make it useful, just as bodybuilders who use steroids, they still go to the gym everyday for 3 hour workouts and keep a steady diet, there is no magic drug.
He is 6'8 or something, it's not like he is obese. Plus he was running up and down on the court good whole life... It's no surprise. It's not the same with a normal guy that weights that much but is way shorter(which means obese) and also it's it of shape.
I heard "magic like", "bird like", "big man like" and we all know he is a power forward as well. This dude is so complete
And he now added Center.
And already in the Lakers stint he already had added the PG.
Because he’s a 6’9 big who is the most athletic player of all time while being the best playmaker ever
@@dusk6159You could probably win 70 games with 2020 Lebron at PG, Current Lebron at SG, 2009 Lebron at SF, 2018 Lebron at PF and 2013 Lebron at C
What's unique (and scary) about #GreatestPeaks is it's like peeling back the curtain and truly meeting your heroes for the first time. I'm always curious to see whether your brilliant analysis confirms or reshapes the greatness that my eyes perceived/appreciated over the years.
@@jokerquinn8310 Facile take.
@@jokerquinn8310 man had to copy and paste this on every comment bc he that obsessed w lebron 😂
@@jokerquinn8310 this is the greatest peaks series.
@@jokerquinn8310 while I was initially surprised by the same metrics you're referring to in your comment when I first saw them, I realized how much more sense they make in context. LeBron is not MJ, Kobe, or KD. He doesn't shoot the mid-range a lot, so the fact that his overall percentage outside of finishing is low is unsurprising when most of those shots are three-pointers. Over his career, he's been largely an average three point shooter. However, his all-time great ability to finish at the rim (and generate open jump shots for teammates) overcompensates for his average jump shot. It should also be noted that many of his highest volume mid-range shooting seasons were also his lowest efficiency ones, coming early on in his career when he was the only threatening assignment for defenses due to his lack-luster supporting casts.
Joker Quinn lmao you’re right what a bum. Shaq is also a bum, man shot probably 30% on shots outside 3 feet
"That is just bionic strength and dexterity that would make Isaac Asimov proud..."
And that is why "Thinking Basketball" is TH-cam's best basketball channel by a landslide..
I really wish I understood that reference. But I have no clue what that meant
@@WhelmedButReady Asimov is a famous science fiction writer, he wrote about superhuman robots at various points in his career.
Yeah the most impressive thing about this guy is his pop culture metaphors I swear
Yea his has a colorful vernacular that paints the picture he's tryna portray...underrated skill
His peak was definitely 2011-2016, that's 3 rings in 5 years and the greatest comeback in NBA history against a all time great team with the numbers to go with it
Facts facts u could also stretch it to 2018 when he should've won mvp over harden
2010 to 2015 was his peak, 2016 he is already on his way down
@@dirkimy I would argue his best season was 2018
His true peak was 2009-13 09 is easily his best season
What’s funny is he’s a better shooter now than he’s ever been
Miami Bron was like Bird where he really excelled at off-ball passing. Later on, he became like magic and was able to orchestrate a full offense with having the ball in his hands.
My dad always had an anecdote for lebron when we would watch together: “he is MJ when he wants to be MJ and Magic when he wants to be Magic and can be anything in between.” And that’s from a diehard bulls fan, (my sisters middle name being Jordan).
Great and accurate point!
Lebron, MJ and Magic, what a basketball trio, and in one court...
Magic Vision and MJ explosion with Karl Malone’s Body
@@dedricklane4899 Indeed, that's crazy accurate.
One could mention even Sir Charles
@@dusk6159 That'd be scary
Yes, your father’s “anecdote” wasn’t original. LeBron was [incorrectly] regarded as a MJ-Magic combo for about the first 13 years of his career. Personally, I see him as an amalgamation of Wilt, Karl, and Pippen.
2013 may be his best individual season, but in a playoff series, I'm taking 2016-2018 or 2020 Bron.
I think even Bron said himself that he'd beat his younger, more athletic self due to his greater basketball IQ, and I believe him. His feel for the game and mental fortitude later on in his career were better than they ever were in Miami.
Hard to argue against, but I think his overall motor (especially on defense) and athletic advantage might equalize or surpass his impact later years.
@@pedromdcc13 The thing to me is that, while he isn't as athletic as 2013 Bron, he's still incredibly athletic in the later portions of his career. He may use it sparingly in regular seasons, but definitely turns it up in the playoffs. Just last year (aka 5 months ago) he looked great in the playoffs. I think his (lesser but still sufficient) athleticism coupled with his greater "chess" skills make 2016-2018 & 2020 Bron more valuable in the playoffs.
Ben might agree, he has another video in which he makes the argument the last 3 games of 2016 playoffs may be the 3 greatest games ever played. But these videos are about the season as a whole.
@@simonamorim8178 True, I did see that vid!
Lebron's BBall Iq was insane in his earlier years so I think that athleticism would make him better
Bron may not be the strongest player, or the fastest player, but he's faster than the strongest player, and he's stronger than the fastest player.
Lebron ability to quickly accelerate and decelerate to a completely stop is insanely impressive. I’m surprise he has torn something yet
The fact that I’m not even sure that this is Lebrons prime just shows how great he is. I personally think 2016 was his prime.
2015-2018 was his prime offensively specially in the playoffs. I think Ben didn't choose these years because LeBron was resting on the defensive end for the most part during that stretch
2016-2018
2012-13.
Statistically it was not as dominant but eye test wise he was the complete package was still being a freak athlete.
@@boodnasser3081 Not in 2016 that was a defensive masterpiece especially in that comeback.
@@boodnasser3081 Its not that he is resting.. Lue the head coach is no defensive coach. I mean if you see Lebron's years with Mike Brown, Spoelstra, Blatt in 2015 and now Vogel he had above average defensive efficiency. Its Lue's "chill" defensive philosophies that should be in question and also Kyrie and Love's below average defensive skills made that Cavs team a slouch on defense.
2018 was his offensive peak, 2013 was his defensive peak. Thats facts.
nope, his defensive peak was actually 11 or 12
13 was his overall peak
I have a question what should I work on specifically to pickup these qualities he mentioned?
He's juiced up.
His offensove peak was 09 check the advance stats
2018 was his offensive plus basketball peak, and 2012 and 2013 was his defensive and athletic peak
The quality of this series has been incredible. Keep up the great work, can’t wait to see the future of this channel.
Peak LeBron really was a joy to watch. He played the best basketball I've seen anyone play post-2000. A real all around phenomenon. The most wonderful thing about this series is eschewing all the narratives and lazy analysis allows one to appreciate how incredible these top guys actually were.
Lebron’s game in his early days are part of the 90s basketball era where they didn’t emphasize the importance of shooting 3s, he transitioned very well up to this era where his shooting behind the arc is above league average
He dominated the paint when spacing was localized to the paint as a goddamn 20 year old people really gonna regret hating this man. His volume at this point makes even Kareem look second rate in terms of how well he's held up.
great point
@@geordiejones5618 I agree but a lot of the hate he brought on himself. Him having that Heatles press conference promising not 3 not 4 not 5 followed by him choking in the playoffs turned a lot of people against him that being said the people saying he is barely top 10 would never have been happy
@@aaronporter2180 People would've hated him regardless. He brings it upon himself, but when you've been hyped up since you were in high school and people want to see you fail, it's hard not to have an ego. 2011 will forever be a stain on his resume when talking about GOAT debates, but I highly doubt any version of Lebron post 2011 is going to fold against being guarded by JJ Barea and Jason Kidd
That 07 finals run at 21 is still wild to me
Those "The LeBron's" commercials we're freaking hilarious, thanks for the flashback!
“You think Michael trained in a pool!?” 😂😂😂
@@seanwarner9893 you can't get past Detroit training in no pool!!!
Spurs defense on him in 2007 and 2013 finals made him master his jump shot.. During that Spurs series in 2013, Spurs clogging the lane and it limit his effectiveness specially thaf game 6 but in game 7 that series, he shot 6 or 7 three pointer..
Idk why the spurs kept clogging the paint in game 7 because lebron and Shane Wade making all their jumpers which was really keeping them in the game. It would have better having lebron drive and kick because Allen and bush were scoreless. If lebron can drive into the paint he will. He’s on the heat so he’ll kick to a player if he thinks the layup has low chance of going in. Lebron will keep trying to hit the open man even if they keep missing. Lebron was hot taking jumpers, let him drive and kick because the other heat couldn’t score.
I remember watching those Heat Championship teams in the playoffs and what stood out to me at that time was Lebron’s efficiency. Seemed like he always had 30 points shooting 12-15. And that D they played was aggressive
!
I know his peak was in Miami but I would love a 2018 Bron video
man's offensive repertoire was soo good he was basically the cav's head coach
Definitely
@@nastyeggplant lmao couldnt agree more
most definitely
I consider both as his peaks. 😂 Miami he had All-Time defense with great offense. but in 2018, his offensive capabilities, durability, clutch and IQ were all used at his highest value.
The passing is actually so bonkers.
Yup
Lebron is a top 5 passer of all time easily
@@tiktokexposed898 In my opinion, just because of his size and the threat he poses on offense by himself, he's the best passer of all time. He's huge and great at scoring so most of the time you're gonna need someone helping the dude guarding Bron, or youre gonna have to double team him. And hes amazing at exploiting that. Hes strong as hell so his passes are just faster than everyone elses. Hes smart as hell and accurate so he can make any pass he wants. And he's tall + longer arms so theres not a lot of angles he cant pass from
@@eliecermesa4826 fair point.
Dustin Chang Indeed, that's crazy, especially on top of the overall offensive package already.
And it's so crazy that it makes a player with a top 6 all time career average of 27ppg a pass-first guy, sheesh!
The craziest thing is that Gilbert arenas and d Wade were having a serious conversation on his podcast about lebron possibly being at his best ever right now, what other player has been this good for this long
No one
Jordan.
@@eboy4216 ???? Jordan only played like 13 seasons. LeBrons averaged 27+ for 17 straight seasons now
@@camrose306 Kareem.
@@eboy4216 yup Kareem is the only one but LeBron is more impressive only because he's so athletic and the main ballhandler which means more miles on his legs. Very impressive that he's still this good.
My goodness, it's so weird seeing LeBron in a Heat jersey without a headband. It just feels wrong.
People will never understand how unstoppable of a physical specimen lebron was in his prime. THE GREATEST PHYSICAL ATHLETE OF ALL TIME. No doubt. No other player, outside of wilt, compares.
Absolutely, on a league of their own
did Shaq die
@@phoenixplayz1581 Shaq is definitely another insane example, but he hasn't the package of Lebron or Wilt (or, as a smaller player, AI).
Definitely in the top 5 though.
Michael Phelps?
Jordan as well, that's why he was called "air"
All them are insane athletes, one per generation
Prime lebron and curry duo wouldve been too perfect. They would be competing for mvp against each other.
😱😱😱😱
@@RLSmith-jt8qj no joke they would not lose a single game for at least one season. 82-0 season, 16-0 playoffs
@@geordiejones5618 🌝He had a top 3 shooting guard of all time in Dwayne Wade and got carried in their first playoff run 🌝
@@NikoBellic20080 Everyone has a bad performance, you'll be alright.
@@NikoBellic20080 LeBron only played bad in the finals not the entire playoff run so stop with the revisionist history
I'm glad that the stats show that the Bron-Wade duo wasn't exactly the smoothest. They did play well one off the other in the championship seasons, with cuts and of course on a fast break but overall in the half court they weren't fantastic.
But what I believe it did allow was for both of them to get some rest on offense. Wade didn't have any serious injuries if I recall correctly and Bron did his usual 48 minute playoff game. And it also allowed them to, at times, play that very aggressive defensive scramble style that Spoelstra loved.
Another really key thing was when James did have one of the few off games, Wade would always turn his play up and cover for it. Had some really key games against Indiana in particular.
This whole series is so absurdly good. I learned a lot and now see some of my favorite players in a different way. Thank you for what you do!
Even tho bird is my favorite player of all time, LBJ surpassed him that 2013-14 season. He had the FULL ARSENAL
Put Bird in this era and his numbers would be off the charts.
@@mikjord Put bird in this era and he would look like a plumber
@@phoenixplayz1581 fax lmao
@@phoenixplayz1581 only in your dreams. Larry would dominate them all. His stats would be inhance by today's childish rules and like Lebron, Harden and Westbrook his numbers would soar considerably.
Imma leave a comment here so I can see how much of a mess the reply section's gonna be later
I’m just gonna appreciate this before every comment is a Jordan vs LeBron debate
Edit: I’m a Tim Duncan guy. I don’t have a singular GOAT
I’M THE GOAT!
So fucking annoying that you can't talk about any of the two, because there comes the no-live "fanboys" to compare some stupid statistics that "totally proves" X is better than Y.
@@jokerquinn8310 Exactly, thank you for proving my point no-live fanboy
You are a Bronsexual?
@@dusttaker No, I'm just not fucking dumb. I'm a Blazers fan, I couldn't care less for the Lakers this season. But I find it hilarious that Jordan fanboys and Lebron fanboys can't talk about the other player without the need to explain that one is DEFINITELY BETTER
Brons athleticism went down but his fundamentals and poise improved. Since he’s a blessed athlete he knows when and where to use his energy for the longevity of a game. Just look at the nba finals of 2020. Game 5 rondo ran the show and bron made like 8 threes doing off ball work💯🤷🏾♂️
Iq off the charts the only thing that slipped is his speed...he still blocking shots at the highest point this many seasons in smh he's the goat
Sad to think that millions of NBA "fans" will watch a talking head sport show have the same boring argument about the game of basketball and feel like they learnt something when this is the the type of content the game benefits from... you know, go figure, some actual knowledge being given.
Lol some of those "fans" are doing it in the comments, can't even enjoy greatness while it's happening
💯 facts
I remember watching these seasons. He just looked different from everyone else.
Cause he was different than everybody else lol.
Cause he is the goat
@Jeffrey Hicks it was legendary
@Jeffrey Hicks 4 rings and 10 finals (so far) is not just solid.Its like saying Superman is just ''strong''
@@user-bw6pt9dy6f shhhh🤫 u will awaken the skip and stephen A. propaganda machine that succeeded in convincing millions, that reaching the finals and losing is somehow way worse than losing in the preliminary rounds
I’ve been following LeBron’s career for a few years now. May become a decent role player on a good team or even a starter on a weaker team. Needs to work on his skyhook.
Lol
Lmao....ass
Wtf you mean? He’s obviously is the greatest shooter ever
Beautiful video, especially enjoyed the freezframe section. Really highlights how much of it was guesswork on behalf of the defence, they were at his mercy when he was in control.
It's a tradition to come back here once in a while
facts. Big fella still doing it is mind-boggling
Probably the greatest series I have watched on TH-cam in any category.
For the basketball one, easily.
It's great to follow it live.
imo Clayton Crowley's ''Making the case'' is better and probably the inspiration for this series.
Y'know, what's weird? Seeing more people talk about how toxic the comment section will be for this video than actual toxic comments.🤔
Maybe this channel just brings in more nuanced and reasonable NBA fans than the usual madness of NBA content comment sections
@@Thragdain Main reason why I love this channel
Yeah you usually see that stuff in the replies of every Sportscenter tweet or NBA memes facebook post
It appears that the toxicity emerges in the replies of the popular comments a few hours post-upload. If you wish to suffer, find a comment chain with 20+ replies and scroll down a bit.
people watching these types of vids just wanna enjoy different greats from different eras.
Ben thanks again. I can’t tell you how awesome it feels when they pop up!
Lebron was absolutely unstoppable in his prime. And seeing him up close and personal was just jaw dropping
Well, except for '11. He was stopped pretty well then...and '14. I'd give you "absolutely" unstoppable if he didn't have those blemishes, but he was a monster even though I ding him for only being unstoppable after stacking his teams.
@@gumballwaterson1957 He was """"limited""" to 28ppg on 57% shooting in 2014.
@@poly_g6068 Come on my guy, that 2014 series, Bron got his numbers when the game was out of hand. Beating a team in 5 games where the margin isn't close is "stopping" or "limiting" someone imo.
@@gumballwaterson1957 Well that would be wrong then because there's 4 other players accounting for the rest of the score and 28ppg on good efficiency is not exactly being the weak link
@@poly_g6068 The series was not close and Lebron did his damage in garbage time (which was most the game). You're looking at a stat sheet to say he wasn't slowed and I'm talking about what actually happened in the series since a stat sheet doesn't tell you when/how someone scores. It's all good though, we just disagree on the definition of "slowed" and "limited".
"This was the Android upgrade" as Kawhi shoots. Nice
These videos help me to appreciate basketball more and also help film study on specific players, helps you appreciate some guys that you never appreciated before
Love the detail and breakdown of all of the plays even little things on a fastbreak that makes you appreciate the skill and basketball IQ even more! Also love you didn't just show the best highlights you showed where mistakes were made in his defensive game and where defense's were able to limit LeBron on his effectiveness. Props to you for making this
i keep coming back to the greatest peaks series. so good
Only two videos left after this. Kd and steph. Damn I'm gonna miss this series😭
I don't think steph should be apart of it because he got worse in the playoff
@@sean24833 Also he's not that good a defender overall. Course he's decent compared to other pgs but he's not up there with the guys he's gone over in this series.
@@jameslearing970 yeah that too I understand offensively he's transcendent but there's more to this than just offense everyone of these guys in this series was all defense capable i don't see how steph can be in it even magic had size to make up for on defense steph to me just like malone and barkley and apparently harden misses the cut to me
KD and Steph are a joke in the sense that they have inflated numbers and wins given that they both have into their fear of lebron and teamed up.
Steph is probably the best offensive player ever. There is a reason why defenses focussed more on Steph than on KD while they were playing together. They rather see KD hit a (late contested) mid range than letting Steph shoot from the logo.
I wish I watched LeBron more during his Miami days, but I really started following basketball more closely when he came back to the Cavs a second time.
Those 2016 finals is what cemented me as a basketball fan
@@daltongiddings2771 2006 Finals for me.
@@daltongiddings2771 greatest finals performance ever
You did miss some great seasons but peak Lebron was the 2016 finals.
@@daltongiddings2771 Same
Great video again thinkin, truly a must watch series. I want to go into all that makes this great but one odd tiny detail is the music. Calm, even, and enough to hear but not drown you out. Also it is not lyrical garbage many would use just for the trends. This music with your speech pattern makes it not only enjoyable but easy to listen. I know it is odd and ultimately not too important, but I just want you to know all your work is noticed even if never mentioned. Thank you again, great video!!
The crazy thing about Lebron is his “prime” is so subjective because his entire career can be considered as a prime for basically any player in NBA history.
He's juiced up.
@@jaoh6659 In your dreams. If the powers that be were willing to bring down All-American Media Darlings Lance Armstrong and Mark McGuire with their steroid usage LeBron who many don’t like would feast on that story if it were true.
@@jaoh6659 if he was “juiced up” he wouldve been caught during the olympics … yall spew these rumors for what?😂😂
The craziest thing about Lebron is how his game has evolved as he continues to age. He’s such a a versatile player.
Imagine trying to catch a pass from lebron. The ball would punch a hole through me.
Naw, he’d size you up and include just enough touch to put you in the best position to score.
😂😂😂
If you know how to absorb the force there's nothing you can't catch
.Lebron shoots 37.5% outside of 3 feet in the regular season and 35.9% outside of 3 feet in the post season for his career. He shots 38% from mid mid range for his career. In go ahead shots in the regular season and playoffs to win or tie the game, Lebron is 19/95 for 20%. Lebron has shot under 40% in 5 different playoff series.
@@jesslancaste83aj k
I absolutely love this series. Fantastic production. A sports station should pay you for these!
2018 Bron though he never won a chip. Will always be the greatest in my opinion. The perfect blend of athelticism, skill, clutchness and IQ.
His defense was bad though, which is why I think 2013 was better
@@Chadius_Thundercock
2018: Higher PPG, Higher RPG, Higher APG, Higher TS%
2013: Higher BPG, Higher 3% (4%), Higher FT% (3%)
Not to mention that Lebron had Ray Allen, Bosh, Wade on the Heat, he was younger, therefore definitely had more energy on defense.
You can argue Lebron had noone on the Cavs in 2018 therefore he scored more. However, he also assisted on more despite the players he had around him.
“You think Michael trained in a pool?!”
he did
He mostly trained on a golf course every summer
great commercial, the guys above don't get it.
Dropping the Issac Asimov reference can this channel possibly be any better?
After all, with something like THAT to comment and describe one can't do nothing but reach those levels.
And that on top of an analysis like this, with three themes and with the all-time high 29 mins or so.
I definitely got the episode greatness and insanity that I imagined and hoped for.
Yeah he could know what he’s talking about
I’ve said this before but this is one of my favorite channels on TH-cam!
Man your contents are so good. You deserve more viewers, i know you spend a lot of time to make this quality high videos.
This has been my favorite episode so far. Breaking down WHY Lebron is a powerhouse is just awesome
I wish there was a breakdown like this for soccer players, this is done beautifully
This is the first video of yours that I've seen. I think I'm in for a treat if they're all even 1/2 this good. Great job
Imo LeBron physical peak was arguably 2013. Literally unstoppable in the paint and off the charts athleticism. He was stupidly better than everyone else and it was just mind boggling.
Buuuut 2018 was when his physical and mental game reached the highest point at the same time. His IQ, as high as it's always been, was finally at the same level as his physical prowess. That version of LeBron still seems like a dream to me. I can't even say much on it because it was so clear from anyone and everyone that I felt offended everytime I watched him.
Would love to see a future series where you evaluate specific championship teams like the 73-9 warriors or the bad boy pistons
the 73-9 warriors weren't a championship team
@@mihirrao7002 my bad I guess I just meant more along the lines of recognizable teams throughout nba history
Best part of my Mondays
Crazy to have a historical content like this on a player who's still playing
First video of this channel that I watch. I'm in owe for the virtuosity of knowledge, method of anylise and editing. Music is like video games from the 90's but somehow helps concentrating. A high university level capacity no TV show can match.
as I am now in my early 30s, it really saddens me that I let sports media dislike lebron so much in my youth and I failed to enjoy 2013 lebron....i will never hate on another player again, and just enjoy all these characters for who they are on the greatest tv show ever made
I sleep well: MJ is the goat, LBJ is the boat, the best of all time and Kareem had the most accomplished overall career if you take college and high school into account
Yep you are exactly right
Nail on the head
I mean Kareem lost four games total in HS and at UCLA. TOTAL! Dude probably lost more games in the first month of NBA than in the six or seven years before...
@Jared Pantalony I agree. George Mikan clearly is greater, but (I don't know) DeAndre Jordan is just a better basketball player. So what makes Mikan greater? His importance to the game, his influence. Same goes for MJ. He made the NBA global, and I don't see how LBJ can top that. So GOAT. On the other hand, as a basketball player I just think that LBJ has taken Jordan's career in and built his career on top of it. Jordan was a fitness god, he had elite dedication, ate right, spent a lot of time in the gym, watched film, used mind games, etc.. And LBJ and a lot of other players obviously have copied that (or tried to).
There's this wonderful image of "standing on the shoulders of giants". It's true, and no matter how big Jordan's head is, somebody will be taller than him. Therefore I never get why people say "nobody will ever overtake Jordan".... I think they almost lack imagination...
lbj aint no boat lmao thats kobe
Love this series ! Keep up the great work !
Perfection the amount of time this had to take has to be insane thank you
I got to see Magic, Bird, Dominique, Barkley, Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, and LeBron in their prime and as much as I hated Bird and Kobe I always appreciated them all. When you see guys like D-Rose, Grant Hill and others with incredible athletic ability suffer from career altering injuries it's frustrating and you feel bad that you never had a chance to see them hit that level where they are near their peak in athleticism combined with incredible knowledge of the game. It's a pleasure when guys like Jordan and LeBron get that peak, seize on the opportunity and you get to see basketball played at such an incredible level.
Haven't looked forward to Mondays in a long time lol
Good video. I enjoyed it. Very well researched and presented. I'll check out your other videos. Great job.
My first video I watched and this was great detail to which I enjoyed. Thank you
What a perfect breakdown of my favorite player ever. I really think you might be the best basketball mind on this platform.
#GreatestPeaks might be the GOATEST Basketball Series on TH-cam ever! No biases and well thought out points.
An 8 year peak is INSANE. That’s longer than most NBA CAREERS.
Felt like I was watching a high quality ESPN special! Phenomenal work
And to think that, that was only his second prime😳
AND with the unability to truly stick out or go over the prime before it and the prime after it.
This seems crazy, just crazy.
There's no such thing as a second prime lol. Your prime is the apex of your abilities
@@chiarosuburekeni9325 no there is lebron made that shit up😂
@@chiarosuburekeni9325 His performance throughout his career seems like a second third and fourth prime, very similar to Tim Duncan, where your peak never really went down.
@@chiarosuburekeni9325 bro "prime" isn't some cookie cutter formula that is the same for everyone lmao
Watching slowed-down footage like this makes me realize just how big LeBron's legs are compared to other NBA players. Dude looks like a point guard from another species.
How about his best playoff run?
I've followed Bron his whole career, and yet I think his best playoff run (and most consistently amazing run), was his performance in the 2020 "bubble playoffs".
At this point, his jumper had fully evolved to being "not bad", his post game was great, and he had just led the league in assists for the first time in his career.
The Lakers did not play well in the last few games of the season, but once the playoffs started, he went supernova and never cooled down.
In every round he shot ridiculously well from the field, scored a lot of points, got a lot of boards and assists, took over games at critical moments, and led his squad to three 5-game victories and one 6-game victory in the Finals.
He completely changed all the narratives that year, and many experts who doubted him had to eat their words.
2020 over 2018?
I think it would be awsome if you do a series where you focus on playmakers. Give them some love. Or the greatest secondary stars like Pippen and others. Great content, keep it up
It is just amazing for one player to dominate in so many different aspects of the game.
And yet Lebron lost more Finals than he won
@@steveno7058 It's a team game, if you've ever played basketball in your life you would know that
@@steveno7058 bad argument
@@steveno7058 championships are a team accomplishment. He still made ten Finals appearances. Making the Finals is better than not making it.
The Wade on-off analysis is so interesting.
To me it seems that LeBron centric system where he is surrounded by shooters can produce insanely good offenses and that makes him the greatest floor-raiser ever.
However his ball-dominance may not maximize the star power around, especially when there is another player like Wade who wants the ball more.
So yeah, scalability and one-dimensional scoring are the only Lebron's offensive "weaknesses"
That's why if lebron ever plays with steph curry, the league would have to fold up
@Nicolo, you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! LBJ only weakness is Free throw shooting. Absolute rubbish! Stop it!
@@phantomstranger8927 he doesn’t need Steph curry cause he’s played with great 3 point shooters and guys that can shoot the 3. Example: Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Ray Allen, James or Jon Jones something like that, Kyle Corver, JR Smith, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Danny Green, KCP.
He’s played with a bunch of 3 pt shooters and guys that are scorers and can make the 3 ball ever since 2011. So yeah while having Steph Curry would be unfair, he’s still played a vast range of players that are 3 point shooters and have contributed gratefully to his success.
And Lebron has never really had a great jump shot or 3 point shot. Reason why they left him open. So that’s a weakness in his game. He has gotten better as a shooter I’ll give him that but he’s never been an elite mid range player. It’s just that he dominated too greatly attacking the rim.
Tbh I never saw peak player from before this current state of Covid-19 bubble basketball and I actually fell in love with basketball while playing 2k so I really appreciate these break downs so I can have an even bigger respect for all these goats 🐐
His help defense was so special back then and the heat needed it so badly as they were often starting players that weren’t great on ball defenders and Bosh often struggled against traditional centers, without Lebron to help at the rim and on the glass I don’t think that lineup would have worked for them.
Totally right
You know we've been waiting for this one since the start 😤😤😤
it’s so odd how Lebron has a different jump shot every 5 or so years. he started jumping way too high. then with the miami years i think he had his best touch. & now with the lakers it seems like he shoots it super flat with that jolty side step back
That same inconsistency is probably one of his key weaknesses - there used to be a thread (or there might still be!) on the RealGM NBA forums that tracked Lebron through the years and almost every 20-30 games you would see a difference in Lebron's free throw routine, or his jumpshot between seasons, and those changes would materialise in statistically significant percentage differences.
Those high hanging jumpshots from his early years are probably a remnant of the old school early 2000s isolation long-2 heavy playstyles.
Then in the Miami years you could see the impact that Ray Allen's OCD had on his free throw and long range accuracy (his only season above 80% FT and 40% from 3 at the same time is during the Heatles years).
And now he's got that LeFuckYou sidestep 3 that everyone has started adopting alongside a more one motion shooting motion.
He's that one player that ALWAYS knows what the current meta is and adapts his skillset to it.
I think his touch is WAY better now than in MIA. he's got that fallaway three that's just about unguardable. but yeah, I agree, it's insane to watch how much he changes his game every 3-4 years.
@@poOgee123 I agree, I think he would be a much better shooter in general if he had a more polished form/routine. Him not going to college also didn't allow him to cover other aspects of the game before going pro
His free throws are always changing too. Not sure this is a good thing...
@@poOgee123 this best reply i’ve seen on youtube ever
Crazy to hear so much positivity surrounding him while watching this video. The NBA media and journalists that cover it are way too negative about Lebron's game and everything he's accomplished in the league.
That “King” moniker really irks some people. Name some undeserved praise please.
Because it’s this era of 24- hour news every thing is heightened. I can imagine some players from outside the social media era would’ve be a great as they were.
Nonsense. The league and pretty much everyone involved with the league has been on his nuts since he was in high school
@@chiarosuburekeni9325 it all changed when he joined Miami
Incredible analysis...great job pal !!
The offense is obvious but I’m usually surprised about how spot on the defense analysis is on each player
Heat LeBron was so jacked. Absolutely unstoppable. I wonder what those Wade numbers look like without his knee injuries.
This series is amazing. Thank you so much your hard work!
Wow. This was an amazing analysis. Thanks!
the strength on that pass at 11:45 is insane my god. Falling away like that, pump fakes, then basically wrist flicks it right on the money. Unreal