Even in Year 23, LeBron James still has believers-loud ones. And when that belief comes from someone like Carmelo Anthony, a fellow future Hall of Famer and longtime friend, it carries weight.
In a recent appearance, Anthony made it clear: he thinks LeBron could still take over the league offensively if he really wanted to. “If he really wanted to, he could lead the league in scoring,” Melo said. “If he really said, ‘Yo, this year I’m gonna go average 30,’ he can do it in year 23.”
That’s not just blind praise-it’s a reflection of how much respect players around the league still have for James’ ability, even as he nears his 41st birthday. And it’s not hard to understand why.
LeBron’s résumé is already etched in NBA history: four championships, four MVPs, and a scoring title. But what’s more remarkable is how he’s still finding ways to impact games, even as the physical toll of two decades in the league starts to show.
This season, though, hasn’t exactly been vintage LeBron. He’s averaging just 16.5 points per game, the lowest mark of his career.
That stat alone has sparked plenty of conversation around whether the King is finally slowing down. But if you ask Anthony, it’s not about whether LeBron can score-it’s about whether he wants to.
That distinction matters. Because while the numbers may be down, the flashes of greatness are still there.
The footwork, the vision, the IQ-it’s all still part of LeBron’s toolkit. But as JJ Redick, now the Lakers’ head coach, pointed out recently, the way LeBron is being used has changed.
And that’s by design.
“He’s not going to be the point LeBron that he was 8 years ago,” Redick said. “Particularly with the way defenses pick up full court, that’s just not a good use of his skill set right now.”
Translation: LeBron is still elite, but asking him to carry the ball up the floor every possession and initiate the offense like he did in his prime isn’t the best way to maximize what he brings at this stage. The Lakers are adjusting, and so is he.
That shift in role doesn’t mean the fire is gone. It means the game is evolving-for both the team and the player.
LeBron’s brilliance now comes in spurts: a perfectly timed pass, a clutch three, a defensive rotation that saves a possession. He’s still impacting winning, just in different ways.
But hearing Carmelo say LeBron could still drop 30 a night if he locked in? That’s a reminder that greatness doesn’t just disappear.
It adapts. And while the days of LeBron bulldozing his way to 35-point triple-doubles every other night might be behind us, the idea that he could still do it-that’s what keeps fans watching.
So while the numbers suggest a decline, the respect from his peers tells another story. LeBron James might not be chasing scoring titles anymore, but don’t be surprised if, on any given night, he reminds everyone exactly who he is.