"I wouldn't say he's in the Top 2" - Bill Simmons rates LeBron James below Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant
It's no secret that LA Lakers superstar LeBron James is still one of the greatest players in the NBA today. Sure, there's always going to be a friendly argument when it comes to who is the best overall player. That's just the way the basketball world is.
After being viewed as the best player in the NBA over the course of his lengthy career, it seems as if some people are starting to think that other players have a higher rank in today's NBA than LeBron James.
The Ringer's Bill Simmons was recently a guest on the Zach Lowe Podcast and was asked if he thinks that LeBron is still the best player in the NBA.
"It's 1A/1B, Durant and Giannis...LeBron..it's year 19. If you're saying LeBron is the best player in the league, that's a past performance thing...I think he's one of the best 10 players, I wouldn't say he's in the top 2. I think it's crazy to say he's still at the Giannis or Durant level. I don't see it," replied Simmons.
While it's sure to stir up the pot when it comes to the LeBron James faithful, it's definitely an interesting point that Simmons brings to the table. There's no denying that LeBron has been one of the most dominant players in the NBA over the course of his entire career. He's still one of the best basketball players in the world, no question about that.
But the harsh truth is that he's getting up there in age. Simply put, there are levels of LeBron's game that aren't as dominant as they once were before. LeBron is about to turn 37-years-old and you are comparing him to the likes of Durant (33) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (26).
So it's easy to say that a player with the mileage that LeBron has won't be as effective as players who are much younger. Simmons went into more detail with Zach Lowe about why he still thinks that LeBron is one of the best players in the league but has been passed by the likes of KD and Giannis.
Simmons argued:
"I think he's one of the best players in the league but I think Durant and Giannis, if I'm trying to win a title...put it this way. Could he have done what Durant did with that Brooklyn team last year? I don't think so. When everybody got hurt. Could he have carried them the way that Durant did? I don't think so. Could he have done what Giannis did in those last two rounds? I don't think so."
The LA Lakers and LeBron James are looking to prove the doubters wrong in the 2021-22 NBA season
As the NBA season rapidly approaches, it's a popular time of year for some sizzling hot takes. This will be one that is sure to draw up plenty of debate in the basketball world and you can understand why.
Anytime that fans want to debate the likes of some of the best players in the NBA, there's always going to be a lot of fact-checking.
With the basketball world having some hesitations about what a soon-to-be 37-year-old can do in an upcoming year, it's safe to say that LeBron James will make note of all of the doubters.