The Los Angeles Lakers have been the most disappointing team in the NBA this season, sitting at 31-47 in the 11th spot in the Western Conference.
The team is currently two games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the play-in tournament. With only four games left in the season, it is looking increasingly unlikely that they will be playing in the postseason in any fashion.
Despite the team’s struggles, superstar forward LeBron James has been as good as ever this season in his 19th year in the league, averaging a league-high 30.3 points along with 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. Not to mention, James’s longevity in the NBA has simply been unmatched, playing at peak performance for nearly two decades at this point.
The natural comparison to Michael Jordan came up on ESPN’s Get Up this morning when Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson weighed in on the legacy of the 18-time All-Star.
“The legacy is set in stone. I just hope that he gets another championship,” said Johnson. “He is going to be the all-time leading scorer. He is going to be one of the top assist men. Combined points in the playoffs and regular season, he is number one. He’s inching up near Michael Jordan, but his story is still being written, so we have to see what happens.
“I love him, I am happy that I recruited him to the Lakers. I am happy that he has been a standup guy. He’s a champion not only on the court but off the court.”
.@MagicJohnson says despite the Lakers' struggles this season, LeBron's legacy is solidified.
"The legacy is set in stone. … He's inching up there [towards Michael Jordan], but his story is still being written. …. He's a champion not only on the court but off the court." pic.twitter.com/AKqDRzrWlp
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 4, 2022
James certainly seems like he can play for many more years, should he choose to do so. He has already said that he wants to continue to play at least until his son Bronny enters the NBA, which is three years away. By then, barring any freak injury, James should be the all-time NBA leader in points, not to mention many other league records.
It remains to be seen how long James can play at a high level, but at some point, James’s sheer breadth of stats may just finally grant him the label of greatest basketball player of all time over Michael Jordan.
[Get Up]
