Goat Stats Pending
One can look out on the Cavs organization and the city of Cleveland as being indebted to LeBron James for more than just hoops. There is evidence in what economists call the James Effect. Cleveland’s economy has grown by number of businesses around the area at 13 %, but more importantly jobs have increased by 23% at those establishments surrounding the Quicken Loans Center when LeBron came back to Cleveland after the Decision. He is arguably one of the greatest attractions simply doing what James does: exemplify excellence on and off the court. Although the King finally brought a promised championship to the city of Cleveland, his individual accomplishments as a player at 32 has set him apart once again.
On Wednesday Night in a game against the San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James crossed a legendary threshold by becoming a part of the 30,000 point club. He finished the night 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in a 114-102 loss which is the 10 out of the last 12 games. This stat line has been average for James since 2006 which has a lot to do with why he’s the youngest person ever to accomplish this objective which many players can’t even dream of in their careers.
This is definitely a milestone in the King’s career, but when is enough really enough for the king. Although the Cavs have been playing atrociously towards the end of January, there is not a soul that can say LeBron James is not a legend at 32 years old with a tenure of 13 years in the League. Since James has entered the League, basketball has entered a new realm, but he still performs in a way that honors that escalation of talent that has come in every draft seceding his own.
In an interview with ESPN, James quoted that he’d continue playing until his body tells him it’s time to stop with the stipulation of how his kids feel about him not being around in his late 30s. At 32, that gives us fans a little more time with that sense of greatness that precedes his name, but we wonder how long that dominance will continue because even Kobe slowed down or at least his body gave him no choice to continue. The greats all experience that plateau in performance later in their careers, but few are mentioned in the same breath with Kobe Bryant or “his Airness” Michael Jordan.
Often fans like to compare James to Jordan, but that comparison is getting harder to uphold as LeBron’s legacy is taking on another direction statistically. If people can replay their careers and watch, they play differently and it shows up in the stat columns. James is set to break even more records if he can continue this level of play into his later career. At the rate of his play, James has 8,340 points to surpass the all-time greatest scorer, Kareem Ab-dul Jabbar and also the opportunity to break into the all-time top 10 assists list. How far James goes with his dominance is totally up to him or the hundreds of players that have tried to stand in his way for 13 years whom, might I add, have not done a good job in trying to stop the King individually.
