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LeBron James claims he’s playing best basketball of his career, but is he right?

By Cody Williams

May 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) during the first quarter in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
May 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) during the first quarter in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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LeBron James says this is the best he’s ever been, which stretches the truth quite a bit.

LeBron James is about to start his fifth consecutive NBA Finals series, and his first with the Cleveland Cavaliers since 2006-07. Now back in his hometown, LeBron is looking to bring the tortured sports city of Cleveland a championship it has so longed for. James feels that he’s primed to do so, too.

In an interview with ESPN, James exercised the confidence that has undoubtedly helped him get to the plateaus he’s reached by saying that he’s currently playing the best basketball of his career. From the piece:

"Despite his impeccable past body of work, the 12-year veteran said Monday that he believes he is playing the best basketball of his career right now.“I think if you put it all together, yeah,” James said. “If you put everything together as far as my mind, my body, my game. If you put everything in one bottle, this is probably the best I’ve been.”"

LeBron has been a force in the postseason to this point, putting the Cavs on his back after the injury to Kevin Love in the first round. Through 14 games this postseason, James is putting up 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

Despite his production in these playoffs, though, LeBron is off-base in saying that he’s peaking professionally. There is no chance that LeBron is currently playing at a higher level than he was during the 2012 Playoffs while with Miami.

En route to winning his first title, LeBron was unreal in the postseason. In 23 games, James put up 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.

He was even better in terms of advanced stats, namely his efficiency. James converted on 50 percent of his shot attempts in that run, compared to just 42.8 percent shooting thus far. In fact, these playoffs are the least efficient of LeBron’s career since 2008, and his 17.6 percent shooting from long-range is the worst of his postseason career.

More than any of this, though, LeBron will never be as physically dominant than he was in those 2012 playoffs with Miami. That postseason was the culmination of everything he’d been working towards in his career. He was at the peak of his physical talents, had figured himself out as an all-around playmaker, and was more engaged than he’d ever been before. He may still be the game’s most physically imposing player, and he still owns a mental edge, but not to the umpteenth degree that he had three years ago.

James certainly is up against odds nearly equal to him trying to capture his first title in 2012, as he tries to bring a title to Cleveland; however saying he’s peaking professionally is farce. He still looks like a Greek god among mortals, but in 2012 he was Zeus wielding thunderbolts. Even if he’s still on Mount Olympus, he’s never reaching the peak again.

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