3 reasons why LeBron James is the smartest player in the NBA
In the last two decades of the NBA, very few players have dominated the game like LeBron James. There is no aspect of the game he hasn't mastered; he's an excellent scorer, an incredible playmaker and a dominant rebounder. The LA Lakers star has developed the skills needed to dominate both offensively and defensively.
A ferociously strong and fast player, James has all the attributes to win games and overwhelm opponents. However, what makes him a truly exceptional NBA player is his high basketball IQ.
In fact, it would not be a stretch to call him the smartest player in the league. The kind of intelligence he possesses has impressed many. On that note, here are three reasons why LeBron James is the smartest player in the NBA:
#3 LeBron James' ability to read rival teams' game plans
"He plays the ultimate team game"
ICYMI: Hall of Famer Jerry West tells Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson why he thinks so highly of LeBron James https://t.co/4b0vPedENh
LeBron James, a 17-time All-Star, is amongst the best in his conference. King James has played 18 seasons in the league. So he has essentially been one of the best in his conference almost every season of his illustrious career.
Coach Pop explains why LeBron James is so difficult to defend. https://t.co/voSLazLzPZ
To become a player of this caliber, an individual must give it their all. They need to understand and counter plays set by opponents as efficiently as possible.
This is what is expected from a player leading a franchise. But LeBron has always gone beyond what is expected of him. He is inherently capable of figuring out the game plans set by other coaches and deciphering the means to counter them.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, James shared an incident from an All-Star game, saying:
"They switched out on AD [Anthony Davis], and two guys went to AD, so Kawhi (Leonard) went directly to James (Harden). "(Harden) drove the baseline and threw it to CP (Chris Paul) in the corner. And then CP drove middle, kicked it back to me, and they were scrambled defensively."
He continued: "For a second, I was about to go one-on-one, which you saw in the picture that I posted with me and Giannis (Antetokounmpo). But then when I saw that Kyle Lowry was on Anthony...When I saw Kyle on AD, we made eye contact, and I just knew he was gonna duck in. And it was just a bang-bang play right there."