Brett Brown did not mince words to describe LeBron James.
“In my opinion, he’s the best player to have ever played our sport,” the Sixers head coach said Friday before his team beat the Cavs.
That’s quite a statement. Brown has played and coached against elite talent over his career, which has spanned from Australia to the United States. For all the excellence he has seen on the court, James’ stands out from the rest.
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“He just keeps getting better,” Brown said. “I say that with tremendous respect to lots of other people. That’s a hell of a comment that I don’t throw out recklessly. I just feel like his body of work makes me feel very confident and comfortable saying that. I think he’s playing arguably his best basketball.”
At 33 years old and in his 15th NBA season, James is posting staggering numbers. He recorded 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists Friday in the Cavs' loss to the Sixers. James scored 35 points in the second half alone.
His season average of 27.7 points (36.7 percent from three), 8.7 rebounds and 9.2 assists is highlighted by 51 double-doubles and 18 triple-doubles. He recently passed Michael Jordan for most consecutive games with 10-plus points.
James isn’t slowing down. He is one of only 14 players to have suited up for a league-high 80 games so far this season and leads the NBA in minutes (37.2).
NBA
“I certainly don’t see any decline athletically,” Brown said. “And then you watch the trend that he’s now shooting and making threes, and you feel like he’s getting better.”
Brown cites James’ preparation, repetition in the playoffs, maintenance of his natural abilities, among other attributes, as the reasons why he has separated himself from others over his career.
“I have so much respect for his staying power,” Brown said. “The fact that he can play that many minutes, that many games, seemingly not missing a beat, annually playing in big games usually in June, he’s amazing. He is amazing.”
James will look to further distance himself from the competition when the postseason begins next weekend. The Sixers currently have a half-game lead over the Cavaliers for the third spot in the Eastern Conference.