"Truly indefensible"- Nick Wright flames voters for picking injury-prone 2-time Finals MVP over LeBron James in All-NBA 2nd Team
LeBron James was named to the All-NBA third team for his 2023-24 campaign with the LA Lakers. “King James” has now made it to that group for the third straight time after joining the second team during the 2020-21 season. For him to make it to that enviable group despite being the oldest player in the league and his 21st season is just amazing.
Some fans and analysts, however, felt James deserved something a little bit more. The four-time champ has no shortage of followers so it’s not surprising that social media is buzzing with discontent. At the very least, a few are arguing that he should be in the second team.
Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright joined the chorus of those who wanted LeBron James ranked higher. Here’s what the veteran sports analyst had to say about the selection on X/Twitter:
“I’m not gonna get too worked up about it, but Kawhi [Leonard] making All-NBA 2nd Team over LeBron is truly indefensible.
“Just no legitimate argument for it.”
Team record had to be the biggest factor why LeBron James landed on the third team while Kawhi Leonard was selected to the second team. James’ LA Lakers spent the majority of the season moving from the eighth, ninth and 10th places in the Western Conference. Leonard’s LA Clippers, meanwhile, were consistently in the top five.
It’s the same argument that can be used between Jayson Tatum landing in the first team and Anthony Edwards relegated to the second group. The Wolves finished with a 56-26 mark while Tatum’s Celtics lorded over the NBA with a 64-18 win-loss slate.
Without LeBron James this season, the LA Lakers finished 6-5. Minus Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers were 7-7. These figures might also have to be counted when comparing the selection.
Stats: LeBron James vs Kawhi Leonard
LeBron James played 71 games, the most he saw action since the 2017-18 season when he didn’t miss one game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kawhi Leonard was also the healthiest he had been in six years, playing 68-of-82 Clipper games.
Here are their numbers for the season:
Without the benefit of the team record, arguing that James deserved the second team over Kawhi Leonard can be easily made. “King James” probably had the better individual season but Leonard’s team had better regular-season success.
It’s uncertain what the voters had in mind when they made their respective selections. What is sure, though, is that it will be a discussion that will not easily fade away.