LeBron James Disrespected With Latest NBA Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
On Wednesday, The Ringer updated its Top 100 Players in the NBA for the 2024-25 season, sparking immediate debate around the league.
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Among the most talked-about placements was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James being listed at No. 12, despite having just clinched a spot on the All-NBA second team this past season, at the age of 40, nonetheless.
James wasn’t the only Laker mentioned, however, as two of his teammates, Luka Doncic, slotted at No. 4, and Austin Reaves, positioned at No. 54, also drew a lot of reactions.
Many fans took to social media to voice their displeasure, calling the placement “disrespectful” for a player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.
One fan commented, “6th in MVP voting somehow 12 in the NBA 😂,”
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“The arguments I’ve seen for LeBron outside of the top 10 are pathetic. They boil down to plus minus and ‘he’s old,'” another user said.
“There are not 53 players better than AR. There are not 11 players better than Bron. There are not 3 players better than Luka. Maybe 2. I have 1, Jokic,” replied another user.
“All 3 are too low,” another fan replied, speaking on the trio of James, Doncic and Reaves.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
With four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four regular season MVPs, 21 All-Star selections, 21 All-NBA nods and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, James already holds one of the best resumes of all time.
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However, even what he accomplished just this past season, many believe, warrants a higher ranking.
In 2024-25, James remained the focal point for the Lakers, appearing in 70 regular-season games, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists (6th in the league) and 7.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 51.3% from the field.
The only other player to average 24+ points, 8+ assists and 7+ rebounds per game last season was the MVP runner-up Nikola Jokic.
James’ play not only earned him second-team All-NBA but also saw him finish sixth in MVP voting after leading the Lakers to a 50-win season, No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and its first Pacific Division title since 2019-20.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.