I think that it goes without saying that LeBron James isn't only one of the greatest players in NBA history but also one of the most influential and dominant athletes of all time. No one, not even his haters can deny that.
And part of what has made James so great is his durability. He's not an average 37-year-old man and is in better shape -both physically and mentally- than most players who are just reaching their prime.
Then again, it's not a secret that he's not getting any younger, and while he could still be an MVP candidate year in and year out, there's no shame in passing the torch to other players as the best in the game.
LeBron James Gets Zero Votes For Best Player In The NBA
That's what most scouts and executives seem to think as well, as James got zero votes for the best player in the league on ESPN's yearly poll. Instead, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant finished both in the first place.
(Transcript via ESPN)
"After Antetokounmpo powered the Bucks to an NBA title and Durant -- following his incredible performance against Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference semifinals -- led Team USA to a fourth straight gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, the two of them split the voting for the honor of the league's top player going into next season.
For those who backed Antetokounmpo, the reasoning was obvious: the way he guided Milwaukee through the playoffs and to the franchise's first title in 50 years. (...) Those who favored Durant, on the other hand, had an equally compelling argument: his ongoing status as the league's most complete and dominant offensive force -- possibly the greatest the sport has ever seen."
James Gets Mad Over ESPN's Poll
Needless to say, that snub drove LeBron crazy, so he took to social media with multiple Tweets to let everybody know that he was in his feelings and thank that poll for the extra motivation.
I mean, we love the competitiveness and all but c'mon LeBron. You don't have anything else to prove. There's no shame on being a top-5 player in the NBA at nearly 38 years of age and entering his 19th season. That's unprecedented already.
