Never mind that LeBron James actually exceeded the hype as a rookie and put
together numbers that nobody in NBA history had managed before he was 21. But
now, at 21, he has not only put up numbers, he has lifted the previously
woebegone Cleveland Cavaliers franchise into a serious playoff contender.
Cleveleand Cavaliers' LeBron James
lies on the court in front of fans as he watches the fourth quarter of an
NBA preseason basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday, Oct.
25, 2006, in Pittsburgh. [AP] |
So when you put together individual statistics that have never been matched
with nearly upsetting the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons in the
conference semifinals last spring, it isn't much of a stretch to name James as
the top player in the annual FOXSports.com NBA Top 50 players ranking.
It would be easy to make a case for NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade of the
champion Miami Heat or Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, still clearly the
best pure basketball talent on the planet. (In fact, it required a week to
decide between the three).
Then again, to break them down 1-50, plus honorable mention, is a ludicrous
task, so the basis for the rankings ranges from the ability to win, to potential
for this season and that inalienable feeling in my oversized gut I get when
contemplating performance.
But when it came right down to it, James had to be the indisputable choice.
At 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, he has ball-handling skills comparable to Magic
Johnson, his shooting range has grown off the charts and his ability to take the
ball to the basket and make plays at the end of the game moved him up to an
entirely different level.
That's not to diminish what Wade accomplished by any stretch of the
imagination. Not only did he anchor the Miami Heat all season long into the NBA
Finals, but he did it with new people around him and with Shaquille O'Neal
missing 23 games. And then to top it off, he took over the NBA Finals when the
Heat were on the verge of getting taken out by the Dallas Mavericks to win the
NBA Finals MVP.
And Bryant still is the best pure overall player with better shooting skills
and defensive ability than either James or Wade, and he nearly led the Lakers
over the Phoenix Suns in the West semifinals.
Some people can even make a case for Dirk Nowitzki, leading the Mavericks to
their first NBA Finals ever. Or Steve Nash, the back-to-back MVP winner simply
because of what he does for the Phoenix Suns.
Lastly, there's always the possibility of Tim Duncan returning to form and
leading the San Antonio Spurs to a fourth NBA title over the past eight years.
But when all was said and done, it had to be James. He has the ability to
seize the game at any moment with extraordinary flair from anywhere on the
floor, but it generally translates into winning time, which is what ultimately
separated him from the rest of the pack on this subjective list. The only
question is how far the Cavs will go with him.
Here are the best 50 players in the NBA - plus a few more.
