Throughout the years, people have talked about LeBron James‘ versatility as his best trait. They often call him the most well-round player in NBA history and even use that as the cornerstone of his GOAT case.
Whether LeBron is the greatest player of all time or not is not for us to debate right now, but he’s perhaps the first – and only – player since Magic Johnson who can play and guard one through five with ease.
James proved it again by shifting to the center spot for the first time in his 19-year NBA career. And, against all odds, the 37-year-old has thrived as the man in the middle, trying to lead the Los Angeles Lakers through a rough patch.
NBA News: Shannon Sharpe Says LeBron James Is The Third-Best Center In The League
That’s why NFL Hall of Famer turned analyst Shannon Sharpe went as far as to say that LeBron James is already the third-best big man in the league, trailing only Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid:
“I believe in the history of the ball game there are two guys that can do what he’s doing and I’ve seen one of them do it and that’s Magic Johnson (I saw him do it in the NBA Finals) and I believe that’s LeBron James,” Sharpe said. “It’s a lot different now than it was back then because you don’t have traditional centers. You don’t have guys that really post up. Now, it’s positionless basketball and it has allowed LeBron James to play the five.”
“There is no questioning his versatility on the defensive end,” Sharpe continued.“He can’t play like that now at 37 years of age but what he’s doing offensively is to be commended. Right now if you make me say it, I’ll say he’s the third-best center in the NBA, behind Jokic and Embiid. He’s better than Gobert.”
Sharpe is a bonafide fan of LeBron so people could take his words with a grain of salt. Then again, the numbers speak for themselves and James has – in fact – been on a tear since shifting to the five.
