LeBron James’s colleagues ranking in the NBA
With the arrival of Luka Doncic to the Lakers, we review the best players who have shared dressing room with LeBron James.
Throughout 22 years of career in the NBA, LeBron James He has had 240 different teammates, although with some he has agreed in more than one place and the most recent name to join that list is Luka Doncicafter the change that shook the NBA in early February.
About the arrival of Slovenian Los Angeles Lakerswe review the best players with whom “the king” has been, although they are only figures with which he shared in a league squad and not in the United States National Team, where he also coincided with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant or Stephen CurryFor example.
We chose the best 10, based on two characteristics: the individual importance of each selected (distinctions as a more valuable player, presences in the star game) and what he achieved together with LeBron throughout his career, if it was key in the collective successes of the franchise in which he met James.
Just choosing 10 of the 240, big names were out like Rajon Rondo, Marc Gasol or Derrick Rosebut also Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varajao and James Joneswhich are the three with which the most parties played the current 23 of Los Angeles.
These are the recognized:
10- Luka Doncic
Permanent candidate for the MVP, the Slovenian landed in the United States with great experience in Europe, where he shone with the real Madrid And then he fulfilled those expectations when he was in Dallas to be the rookie of the year in 2019, be chosen to five games of stars and have an appearance in the end, a few months ago in front of Boston Celtics.
However, Doncic joins the veteran LeBron with the short -term objective of winning a title together to enlarge the Palmarés of the American and start that of the European, who in the long term seeks to become the face of the Lakers and position himself as number one in the NBA.
9- Carmelo Anthony
LeBron’s generation partner, when just two shifts were taken after him in the 2003 draft, Carmelo Anthony shone in Denver Nuggets and New York Knickshe was called 10 times to All-Star and was the scoring leader of the association in 2012-13, among other recognitions, although only individual.
He finally coincided with his friend in the Lakers of 2021-22, but the project was a failure because he did not even describe to the playoffs, after a 33-49 mark to be eleventh at the West Conference, with 13.3 units every night, the lowest figure of his career, which ended next to that calendar.
8- Shaquille O’Neal
As for curriculum, no James partner approaches the Shaq merits, who was four times monarch, three times the most valuable of the finals, on one occasion the MVP, chosen at 15 All-Star, rookie of the year, among other distinctions, for one of the NBA legends.
However, with LeBron combined when he was already 37, in the 2009-10 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers And although he played 53 games and had an average of 12 units per game to help have the best record of the East Conference, the squad fell into the semifinals against Celtics and he retired a little later precisely precisely with the greens.
Another member of those Lakers who failed in 2021-22 was Russell Westbrookwho had been in Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards, before arriving in California, with a curriculum that included the 2016-17 MVP and nine selections to the All-Star, with a tendency to get triples-doubles, although the defensive failed.
In that first campaign with LeBron he played 78 games and averaged 18.5 points, 7.1 assists and 7.4 rebounds, although he could not make a difference; The following year he remained in the organization, but lost his role as headline and in February 2023 he was sent to Utah, although he did not play and ended with the clippers.
6- Ray Allen
When crowned in 2008 with some Boston Celtics that included Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, Ray Allenwhich first shone with Milwaukee and Seattle, put a ring to a race that included 10 invitations to the star game and the distinction to sportsmanship in 2003.
But at 37 it was still fundamental in another championship, in this case that of the Miami Heat of 2013, which meant the second to LeBron, after defeating the San Antonio Spurs with a stellar performance of the veteran, who had a decisive triple for the victory in the extra time of game 6, to put the series 3-3 and celebrate a few days later.
The fifth global selection of the 2008 Draft wore with Minnesota Timberwolves at the beginning of his passage through the League, with the award to the player that improved in 2011, and five total selections to the All-Star, before going to Cavaliers to reinforce Cleveland in the return of LeBron.
Love assumed his role as the third sword, behind James and Kyrie Irvingand in that 2014-15 he lowered his numbers to 16.4 points, in addition to 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists, the following year he got the first parade in the history of the franchise and although he suffered in the finals, his brand on Stephen Curry in game 7 was one of the reasons for the victory.
4- Chris Bosh
A benchmark with the Toronto Raptors between 2003 and 2010, Bosh was a permanent guest to the middle -season classic between 2006 and 2016, before leaving to Miami to join LeBron and Dwyane Wade and officially start the era of the Super teams in the NBA.
Together they got the hecters of 2012 and 2013, when beating the Thunder and the Spurs, respectively, with Bosh as the defensive leader of the Erik Spoelstra painting, highlighting in blockages and rebounds, fulfilling a function similar to that which Love would later make in Cleveland, leaving the prominence in others.
The first selection of the 2012 Draft helped the consolidation of the organization in New Orleans, as one of the eternal candidates for defensive of the year and a complete player, who has gone to 10 All-Star and was sent to Lakers in 2019 in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart.
As LeBron’s partner, he got the title in the bubble in 2020, against Miami Heat, with Davis as the second best of Los Angeles, with averages of 25 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.0 blockages in the duel against those of Florida, so that James obtained his fourth ring; In addition, he raised the first cup trophy in 2023, before being transferred to Dallas by Doncic.
2- Kyrie Irving
When LeBron went to Miami, Cleveland opted for Kyrie Irving as the first global selection in 2011, there he was chosen a rookie of the year and then he was the most valuable of the star game in 2014, before the return of James, which meant the 2016 championship with a triple of his, unforgettable in game 7.
Although the next campaign to lose the finals against Warriors stayed in Ohio, Kyrie began an independent path of her partner in Cleveland, first in Boston, then in Brooklyn and now in Dallas, where she reached the decisive instance with Doncic, only to fall against Celtic.
1- Dwyane Wade
LeBron’s par excellence, was also chosen by Miami in the 2003 Draft and in 2006 he got his first title, with Shaquille O’Neal as a duo to beat Mavericks in the finals, where he was named as the most valuable and remained as the Miami banner, even with the arrival of James in 2010.
Together they got two crowns, in which Dwyane served as the perfect complement to the king, until he returned to Cleveland, Wade remained in Miami until in 2016-17 he signed with Chicago and in the next season with Cavaliers to meet his friend, although without success; He retired as a member of Florida and is one of the best in history.
