LeBron James’ career longevity has helped him break a plethora of NBA records.
Now, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is preparing for Year 23 in the NBA. No player in NBA history has played more than 22 seasons until now.
While James remains a great player, the rumor mill has been abuzz with retirement rumors surrounding the four-time NBA champion this summer.
The rumors were at their peak when James teased the ‘second decision’ of his career. But it turned out to be an advertisement for Hennessy. However, what if LBJ had indeed retired? He would have missed out on a major record.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesLA Lakers are the only team in LeBron James’ career where he has never won the MVP award
James’ resume is full of brilliant accomplishments, including winning four NBA MVPs during his career.
He won the award during his stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. While James has already won an NBA Championship with the Lakers, he hasn’t taken home another MVP award.
The closest that James ever got to it was during the 2019-20 season. Yes, the same campaign where he helped the Lakers end their decade-long championship drought.
Despite averaging 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, James finished second in MVP voting, behind Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On the positive side, James did win the 2020 NBA Finals MVP for leading the Lakers during their championship run.
LeBron James’ MVP years at a glance
Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images
With the Lakers star’s second decision now revealed, NBA expert Ramona Shelburne was correct about James’ retirement. After all, it makes no sense to retire after opting into his $52.6 million player option.
But let’s keep that on the back burner for a second and revisit James’ phenomenal numbers during his MVP years with the Cavaliers and the Heat.
Stats2009 MVP2010 MVP2012 MVP2013 MVPPoints28.4 PPG29.7 PPG27.1 PPG26.8 PPGRebounds7.6 RPG7.3 RPG7.9 RPG8.0 RPGAssists7.2 APG8.6 APG6.2 APG7.3 APG
On top of the above-mentioned numbers, James was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end of the floor during his MVP seasons.
To be fair, if it weren’t for voter fatigue, there is a legitimate argument for James to win at least one more MVP during his sensational career.
Could he still do that as a 40-year-old while sharing the court with Luka Doncic on the Lakers, to become the only player in NBA history to win an MVP award with three franchises? Only time will tell.