LeBron James is one of few NBA players in league history who has arguably picked apart teams more with his passing than his scoring ability.
Through his 17 seasons, James has developed into a master of running an offense, and on Monday his talents earned him another milestone. James took hold of the No. 8 spot on the all-time assists leaders list, passing Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas. James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring a team-high 31 points and tallying eight assists.
James currently has 9,067 career assists and sits behind his good friend Chris Paul, who is ranked seventh.
The ultimate playmaker, James will go down as the quintessential point forward. While playing primarily point guard this season, James has had a career year passing the ball. He’s leading the league in assists, averaging a career-high 10.7 assists per game.
The value James holds as a passer, one who can change the dynamic of a game, couldn’t have been more apparent in the Lakers’ win over the Cavaliers. During the first half, James wasn’t as aggressive. He had eight points and two assists heading into halftime — and the Lakers were still only down by one point.
But during the second half, James took control of the game, picking his spots as if he was a masterful chess player. He had 23 points and six assists in the second half.
James’ ability to impact a game in a variety of ways is what will be the strength of his legacy. As he continues his career, it’s not too crazy to think he could be ranked top five all-time in points and assists before he retires.
