Ever since entering the NBA in 2004, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has always had the spotlight on him at all times. James is truly a generational talent and is regarded as arguably the greatest prospect to enter the NBA Draft.
Now almost two decades later, the four-time champion is still in the spotlight and receives a lot of media attention. In 2018, James took it up a notch by signing with the Lakers, a franchise that is always talked about.
Recently turning 39-years-old, James is still giving fans remarkable performances and defying Father Time in his 21st season. The league has simply never seen a player like LeBron and how he is playing at a high level is mind-boggling. With that being the case, it has unsurprisingly earned him the No. 1 spot in the NBA’s 2023 social rankings:
1. LeBron James – 2.8 billion views
James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader on Feb. 8, 2023. The inaugural In-Season Tournament MVP shows no sign of slowing down heading into his 39th birthday on Dec. 30.
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the all-time scoring record for decades and no one ever anticipated that record being broken. But the way James has taken care of his body through the years put him in a position to take that record.
As with many great players, as they enter the latter stages of their careers, fans see these players gradually decline over time. While James has suffered some nagging injuries during his time in L.A., he has still been able to average over 20 points and impact winning.
While that record-breaking moment was special, the Ohio native has still been able to add to his endless highlight reel with his explosive fast-break dunks, signature chase-down blocks and flashy passes to his teammates. The NBA certainly has its exciting young, rising stars making noise right now, but to have the Lakers star still being at the center of attention at this stage of his career is impressive.
James was not the only Laker to crack the NBA’s social rankings for 2023 as Anthony Davis came in at No. 11 with Austin Reaves not far behind at No. 13.
LeBron James only focused on Lakers
Since winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament, the last month of 2023 was not kind to the Lakers. Having only won three of their last 11 games, the Lakers have dropped to the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.
Due to the amount playoff-bound teams in the conference, L.A. cannot afford losing skids of this magnitude. Every regular season game matters when it comes to seeding, but James knows that he has to focus on what the team can do better and not worry about what other teams are doing.