Former teammate calls LeBron James the greatest player of all time, says he's the definition of determination

LeBron James is on the precipice of becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer. James has also proven that he's one of the greatest players in history. However, a former teammate believes that "The King" is the G.O.A.T. and the definition of determination.

In a written article for the Associated Press, Shane Battier shared his experience playing with James. They were teammates with the Miami Heat for three seasons from 2011 to 2014, winning two championships together.

Battier praised James' determination with his 45-point performance against the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals.

​

"You want to look up determination in the dictionary? It'd be LeBron James," Battier wrote. "It was the greatest display of will that I saw in my entire career because of the circumstances, because of the consequences, because of the team we played. The Celtics had no shot that night. I had never seen anything like it, even to this day."

That performance is probably one of the greatest of LeBron James' career. Shane Battier even called his former teammate the greatest player of all time, and that there would never be another player like him.

​

"In my mind, he's the greatest player of all time," Battier wrote. "I'm biased, I know that, but I'm allowed to be. And I know we said this with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, we said this with Wilt Chamberlain, we said this with Michael Jordan, but I don't think we’ll see someone like LeBron James ever again."

---

Will LeBron James break the scoring record against the OKC Thunder?

"The King" of the LA Lakers

LeBron James is just 36 points away from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record and becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer. James has the opportunity to do it in front of a raucous Crypto.com Arena crowd on Tuesday night against the OKC Thunder.

James is averaging 32.8 points in 2023, so 36 points is certainly doable. He has already had four 40-point games since January 1 and it would be an epic night if he could do it again on Tuesday.

But if "The King" cannot break the record on Tuesday, he has the opportunity to do it again on Thursday in a matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. If James can break it against Milwaukee, it would be more poetic. Abdul-Jabbar played for both the LA Lakers and Bucks, and he'll likely be in attendance.

​