"I can't even pick": LeBron James in a dilemma over picking 2012 vs 2018 version of himself
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James recently reacted to an Instagram post asking what version of James fans think was better, the 2012 Miami Heat or the 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron, who played with the Heat for four years from 2011 to 2014, left to join the Cavaliers for four more in his second tenure, candidly reflected on it and said humorously:
"Wow!!!!!! Ummmm I cant even pick which one myself hahaha!"
LeBron James acknowledged the debate over the prime of his career, sparking discussions among NBA fans on X, formerly Twitter, who shared their opinions on which phase was superior.
One fan said:
"2018 LeBron was the greatest player in NBA history"
Here are some of the other fan reactions on X:
The majority of fans seem to agree that the 2018 Cavaliers' James was slightly better due to his "experience" coupled with his still dominating athleticism, size, skill and intelligence, which gave him the nod over the raw 2012 prime.
Although some argued that the best performance of his career came during his Heat tenure, that led to the iconic Game 6 of the Easter Conference finals between the Heat and the Boston Celtics.
Looking closer at LeBron James' 2012 & 2018 version
LeBron James has arguably played in his prime until his 21st season, still playing like a top-five player on any given night. However, his 2012 and 2018 seasons stand out more than most.
2012 James achieved significant milestones, including winning an NBA championship with the Miami Heat, earning the NBA Finals MVP award and securing a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.
He averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals with 0.8 blocks on 53.1% shooting, including 36.2% from the 3-point line.
His most memorable game also happened to be at a crucial point in his career, where the Heat's backs were against the wall. On the road against their rivals Celtics, James went on to showcase his best performance at the time of his career, ending the game with 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on 19-of-26 shooting.
Meanwhile, in 2018, LeBron was singlehandedly carrying what was a post-trade deadline subpar Cavaliers team to the Finals, including two series that went to Games 7s and two buzzer-beaters in the playoffs against the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers.
His best performance came in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors when he scored 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists with a steal and a block on 59.4% shooting.
LeBron averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists that year, finishing second in the MVP race behind James Harden.