When it comes to LeBron James, you don鈥檛 have to squint to see milestones being made with practically every step. In part, it鈥檚 due to longevity; he has been toiling in the National Basketball Association since 2003, so he will invariably be amassing big numbers and surpassing those of others en route. In larger measure, it鈥檚 due to consistency; his stats year after year have been outstanding, and — even at 33 with considerable wear and tear in his body — actually improving. Not for nothing will he be posting career highs in his regular-season rebound and assist averages, and not for nothing has he reinserted himself into Most Valuable Player discussions after (unfairly) being left out last year.
Not all of James鈥 firsts through the 2017-2018 campaign have been good, to be sure. Among the negatives was his first ejection in a career then spanning 1,083 outings. That said, they have, for the most part, been historic. Early this year, he became the seventh, and youngest, player to generate 30,000 points. He then averaged a triple-double for a whole month, a feat he hadn鈥檛 yet accomplished; during the February game in which he clinched the mark, he likewise became the first in league history to compile at least 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 8,000 assists. And though yesterday鈥檚 match, he has scored in double digits an all-time-record 872 consecutive instances.
Needless to say, James鈥 myriad contributions propel the Cavaliers鈥 competitiveness. Without him, they鈥檙e mediocre at best and would be hard pressed to make the playoffs, let alone claim homecourt advantage in the first round. It鈥檚 why he has personal streaks of 10 straight Division titles and seven straight Finals appearances; the former is unmatched by any other in hoops annals, while the latter is exceeded only by the dynastic Celtics during the Bill Russell era.
Which, all told, underscores James鈥 status as the most coveted player in the NBA. It鈥檚 why franchises design free agency moves with him in mind, and why he affects fans either way with his decisions. He has seen fit to describe himself as fine wine, and he鈥檚 right. Age has seasoned him extremely well, and it鈥檚 a testament to his unparalleled skill and capacity to make those around him better that his best looks to be yet to come. Tomorrow, he is poised to complete a full season without missing a single contest for the first time ever. After that, anything is possible; with him, fans believe, and even critics concede, that his greatness knows no limits.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994.
