So why did so many websites list LeBron as the best player in the NBA this offseason?

[russwest0]

He wasn't even the best last season with two different people sharing his same position winning MVP and FMVP. His defense had taken a big drop off and following the pattern of how many minutes he's played throughout his career you'd be a fool to expect it to improve much from last year if any at all.

Yet you look at all of the offseason NBA player lists that become so popular for many websites in the offseason... all had LeBron as #1. You look at the preseason MVP prediction awards.... LeBron in the eyes of the media looked like an essential lock for the award....

But why?

[riseagainst]

living in the moment. Stockholm syndrome.

[Fudge]

Don't believe the hype.

Everybody knew, deep down, that Kevin Durant is/was the best player in the world coming into the season.

Hype, I tell ya. It's blinding.

[navy]

You talk about lebron more than espn....

[SamuraiSWISH]

LeBron was still a better ball player than KD last year. It was kind of evident in their head to heads in 2012 - 2014. Now? Who knows. Bron statistically is playing well, but the eye test shows he's regressing in ways. This would be the first true season where Durant could become the actual best player in the league.

[3ball]

LeBron was still a better ball player than KD last year. It was kind of evident in their head to heads in 2012 - 2014. Now? Who knows. Bron statistically is playing well, but the eye test shows he's regressing in ways. This would be the first true season where Durant could become the actual best player in the league.

[Genaro]

Media has Lebron's balls in its mouth. What they saw: KD didn't played as great as in RS in the offs, Lebron played better than the RS and went to the finals.
2 things must be brought up though:
1- Durant was against much better competition
2- Lebron got a pass for the finals because he put up empty stats. The truth is that he was outplayed by a 3 year role player.

[aj1987]

Media has Lebron's balls in its mouth. What they saw: KD didn't played as great as in RS in the offs, Lebron played better than the RS and went to the finals.
2 things must be brought up though:
1- Durant was against much better competition
2- Lebron got a pass for the finals because he put up empty stats. The truth is that he was outplayed by a 3 year role player.

Played better than KD against the Spurs. Also how did he get "outplayed"? Didn't LeBron drop 28/8/4/2/1 on 57/54/80?

[3ball]

Media has Lebron's balls in its mouth. What they saw: KD didn't played as great as in RS in the offs, Lebron played better than the RS and went to the finals.
2 things must be brought up though:
1- Durant was against much better competition
2- Lebron got a pass for the finals because he put up empty stats. The truth is that he was outplayed by a 3 year role player.

...

if a high school team beats another team by 80, no one gives props to the leading scorer from the losing team - the other team allowed those points because they had no impact.

lebron's "system" approach to shot selection allowed the Spurs to get into a defensive rhythm of playing lebron's teammates straight up and locking them down - lebron's careful approach led to an overall passivity on offense for the team, which prevented them from keeping pace with the Spurs offense.

[chazzy]

Also how did he get "outplayed"? Didn't LeBron drop 28/8/4/2/1 on 57/54/80?

He didn't get outplayed, but his numbers weren't even close to the impact they imply

[ImKobe]

Played better than KD against the Spurs. Also how did he get "outplayed"? Didn't LeBron drop 28/8/4/2/1 on 57/54/80?

How many of those points had any impact on the games? The Spurs let him get his because they were killing the Heat on the other end. In close game situations or possessions, where the Heat were close (42 possessions), Lebron shot 5/12 (41,6%) for 13 points and had 4 assists to go with it, the team scored 29 points in those possessions (0.69 PPP).

It's like you told me in the other thread about the Heat letting KD get his in the 2012 Finals. It had no impact on the end result.

If he put up those numbers and the Heat won the series, they would be worth mentioning. It wasn't even close.

[3ball]

He didn't get outplayed, but his numbers weren't even close to the impact they imply

for sure.

in order for lebron to get his 28ppg, the heat had to run a HIGHLY SUPOPTIMAL offense where various teammates could not play to capacity.

how can this offense be expected to keep pace with an offense whose players are all playing to capacity?

it can't, which is why the lebron's heat got destroyed by record margin.

[aj1987]

How many of those points had any impact on the games? The Spurs let him get his because they were killing the Heat on the other end. In close game situations or possessions, where the Heat were close (42 possessions), Lebron shot 5/12 (41,6%) for 13 points and had 4 assists to go with it, the team scored 29 points in those possessions (0.69 PPP).

It's like you told me in the other thread about the Heat letting KD get his in the 2012 Finals. It had no impact on the end result.

If he put up those numbers and the Heat won the series, they would be worth mentioning. It wasn't even close.

LeBron alone was not going to do shit. Wade sucked ass and Bosh did as well. As a matter of fact, every Heat player outside of LeBron sucked ass. LeBron himself was bad on defense, but he literally had no help on the offensive end. There was no way Miami was winning against that Spurs team with only LeBron going ham. Miami was terrible both defensively and offensively. Wade was basically Harden like in the Finals, when it came to defense. Bosh/Chalmers/etc. were no better.

Still, I don't see what that had to do with LeBron getting "outplayed" by Kawhi..

[Kblaze8855]

You want it explained why people think Lebron has been the best player in the league? There is very little chance history isnt gonna remember Lebron as the best player of this stretch. Its...the general opinion of virtually anyone you could think to name as a significant figure in the sport.

If you polled the coaches...the gms...the players. Lebron would come out on top probably 80-90% of the time. It would only tilt any other way in the middle of another elite players hot streaks. But the extreme vast majority of the time hes gonna be the best for at least the last 5 years, this offseason, now, and the foreseeable future. The generally accepted opinion doesnt need explaining.

Opinions that have most of the basketball world being wrong....that is the kind of thing you explain.

Nobody needs to explain why the most widespread opinion is what it is. Its a waste of time. You see the same thing everyone else does...and come to a different conclusion. Thats fine. Everyone has that right.

But you listen to the likes of Pop, Larry Brown, Pat riley, Hubie Brown, Larry bird, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West types...guys just dripping in basketball credibility? They say about the same things as the dreaded media and websites.

Think what you wish. But when it isnt what most people think...you are the one who needs to explain not the rest of the world.

You have made some version of this topic many times. "Why do people keep saying Lebron is the best?".....as if you really care.

If he isnt...explain why. Thats a topic. A boring played out one.....but a reasonable topic.

You dont need to keep remaking topics asking a question you wont accept any answer to.

[lilteapot]

living in the moment. Stockholm syndrome.

Unless you know what something means, you shouldn't be talking about it.