Lakers 2024-25 Player Grades: LeBron James
Season In Review For LeBron James
Coming into this season, there weren’t many players who had more buzz than LeBron James.
Whether it was dominating in France on the way to a gold medal, starring in Netflix’s first season of ‘Starting 5’, or having his podcast partner hired as his new head coach, LeBron captured headlines as he always does.
James once again entered the season as the oldest player in the league, with the expectations of a star in their prime, and he somehow still raised the bar. Playing in 70 games for just the second season of his Lakers tenure, LeBron put the team on his back for the majority of the year.
The type of season that he just had would be fantastic for a player in their prime. What James is doing at the age of 40 will likely never be replicated again.
This season, James became not only the youngest player to receive MVP votes but the oldest as well. He also became both the youngest and the oldest player in NBA history to be named to an All-NBA team. That’s 21 consecutive selections for those counting at home, and that’s also a record.
LeBron James is now the youngest (19y, 88d) and the oldest (40y, 38d) player in NBA history to score 40+ PTS. 🤯 https://t.co/VLYamanXOn pic.twitter.com/dX1W23jiDH
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 7, 2025
LeBron also broke a more non-numeric and sentimental record this year by becoming the first player in NBA history to play with their son. LeBron holds that record above the rest.
When asked to rank the feat, James said, “Number one. For sure, that’s easy. — To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be alongside my son this whole year has been one of the most gratifying and satisfying journeys I’ve ever been on.”
LeBron James Player Grade: A
Frankly, this was not a tough season to grade. LeBron James did everything short of winning a title that you would expect from your superstar player.
By playing the fourth-most games of anyone on the team, James was able to set the tone and help establish the new culture under new head coach JJ Redick.
There was a stretch towards the beginning of the season, however, that was troubling to many. James played some of the worst basketball of his career. Numerous times, he came close to halting his unfathomable record of consecutive games with 10+ points.
After a week or two off, he was back to his old self like he never left, wowing fans every time he touched the court.
LeBron in the last 5 games:
30.4 PPG
8.4 APG
5.8 RPG
1.2 SPG
57/47/86%
66.9 TS%Don’t take him for granted 🐐. pic.twitter.com/DDAeOXxF9C
— BronMuse (@BronMuse) January 3, 2025
LeBron not only helped carry the team through Anthony Davis’s injury and trade but also helped the transition for the newly acquired Luka Doncic.
Even with a lingering injury going into the playoffs, James was still the Lakers’ best player and defender against Minnesota.
Overall, this season James averaged his typical 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds. It’s incredible that numbers like those could ever be considered typical. If it weren’t for the early-season lull and unfortunate injury towards the end of the year, this would easily be an A+.
Moving Forward
We’ve all witnessed nothing but consistent dominance for the last 22 years. That’s more years than a large portion of NBA fans have been alive.
Sadly, there isn’t very much moving forward with LeBron James. Entering his 23rd season in the league, it’s safe to assume there aren’t many years left.
Recent reports from Shams Charania of ESPN were that LeBron is likely to opt into his $52.6 million contract. It’s not his standard 1+1 year deal that we’ve grown accustomed to him taking. Could this be LeBron James’ last dance?
A player like Luka Doncic, however, could be the ticket to extending James’s championship window a year or two. Hopefully, LeBron’s new teammate being a bona fide top-five player will be enough to help him capture one last title.
