LeBron James is the greatest Swiss Army Knife that basketball has ever seen.
For 19 seasons (and counting!) The King has shown that he can do just about everything on the court at an elite level. That isn't some hyperbolic statement, either; LeBron James' all-time stat line is currently sitting at about 36k points, 9k rebounds, and 9k assists. For context, basketball GOAT, Michael Jordan himself, only posted a stat line of 32k, 6k, and 5k, while statistical monster Oscar Robertson could only manage 26k, 7k, and 9k totals. Even guys like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain who put up more points and rebounds respectively cannot compete with LeBron in other facets of the game. Heck, LBJ isn't even really known for his scoring, but he is still on pace to beat Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record by the end of next season. This versatility is perhaps Bron's greatest argument for being the greatest basketball player of all time.
As such, being elite at every basketball skill combined with his 6'8” height and unrivaled athleticism, James is one of the few players in history who could theoretically play in all 5 positions on the court.
However, it was just a few games ago that he was officially deployed at center for the first time in his career. H had already played the other four positions at some capacity in previous seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.
With this, we'll be ranking every version of LeBron James based on all of the positions that he has played from worst to best. Offensive and defensive statistics will be taken into consideration, as well as overall team success when LeBron played each position.
The Positional LeBron James Battle
5. LeBron James Shooting Guard
One of LeBron's weaknesses is said to be his shooting ability, particularly from outside and from the free-throw line. From this, it's quite obvious why LeBron as a shooting guard ranks 5th here. However, it's not quite as simple as that.
Shooting is indeed not one of LeBron's best attributes, but it's not as if he's shot the three-ball at a 25% clip for his career. Bron's actually been a viable shooter and has steadily improved his outside stroke in recent seasons. He's shooting 34% from three for his career and has shot it at an even better 36% from 2011.
It's just not a position wherein Bron's strengths can be utilized to their full potential. He's not at that point position where he can dictate the team's offense fully, as being the team's designated shooting guard means that he'll have to play around the team's offense instead. Imagine The King playing something of a Klay Thompson role with his Los Angles Lakers today; it probably wouldn't go as well as it could.
We do have a whole season's worth of games to see how well James plays at shooting guard, as he was deployed at the 2 in his rookie season with the Cavs. He was actually still very, very good, as he averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists to comfortably take the Rookie of the Year award. His team only won 35 games, but again, that's down to Bron not having as much control over the team's offense as a rookie.
Still great, could be way better.
4. LeBron James Center
The inspiration for this piece, the Los Angeles Lakers were made to deploy The King at center due to an injury crisis. So how'd Bron and the Lakers do?
James actually performed exceptionally well at small-ball center when looking at his stats. Since starting at center against the Houston Rockets in December 2021, the King has averaged monstrous numbers of 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. This 9-game span has suddenly thrust Bron into the MVP conversation.
Moreover, the team has gone on a four-game winning streak in that timeframe. Mind you, this season-best streak came right after the Lakers lost 5 straight. As such, the positive difference was extremely noticeable. The change was what the underwhelming Lakers needed at the time. The team could play a new, five-out system that gave James and Russel Westbrook more space inside.
However, this cannot be said to be sustainable for the team. For one, the Lakers have just lost three straight games, despite James' best efforts. Secondly, the expectation to man the paint against 7-feet centers is surely too much for LeBron in his 19th NBA season; this is the very reason why Anthony Davis does not like playing the 5. Thirdly, for all intents and purposes, James does not play as an actual center for the Lakers on both sides of the floor. He doesn't even play it like how Robert Covington did for the Rockets a few years ago. Bron still plays like a point forward in the Lakers' new system like he usually does. This time, he's just the tallest guy on the court for LA.
Nevertheless, LeBron at center has been a good band-aid solution for the Lakers, and is a viable strategy for certain Playoff matchups.
3. LeBron James Power Forward
LeBron played at the 4 position in his last two years with the Miami Heat, reaching the NBA Finals twice and winning one Championship. Safe to say that Bron's time at power forward has been productive.
The 2012-2014 lineup consisting of himself, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, and Mario Chalmers meant that James has to take on the power forward position in order for the Heat to play a lineup of their best players. James averaged great stats of 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists during this particular spell.
There's no question that James is big enough, strong enough, and more than capable of excelling in this position. With his speed and athleticism combined with these traits, The King was able to easily score past slower opposing PFs. However, much like the previous entries in this list, James' other skills are underutilized in the 4 position. Kevin Durant had to fudge his height somewhat to avoid a similar issue with this; Durant has always insisted that his height was at 6'9” instead of about 6'11 or 7′ to be able to play on the perimeter instead of just in the post.
2. LeBron James Small Forward
The number 2 and 1 spots in this list are actually very close, with good arguments to be made for either to take the number one spot.
Throughout his career, LeBron James has most commonly been deployed as a small forward. Out of his 19 seasons, he's been classified as an SF 13 times. If you ask a random NBA fan what The King's position on the court is, they'll more than likely say that he's a small forward.
Indeed, as a small forward, he is arguably the greatest in the history of the sport. The 3 position calls for big, strong, versatile players who can do a bit of everything on the court. Great small forwards can score, space the floor, and defend the perimeter well. LeBron fits this description to a tee, and then some.
As a small forward, James is averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, arguably making him the SF in the league every time he is deployed as such. He has also won 2 Championships as a small forward: one in the 2011-12 season with the Miami Heat, and one in the iconic 2015-16 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The most versatile player in league history in the most versatile position on the court. Of course he's gonna be great at it.
1. LeBron James Point Guard
LeBron James has “officially” been classified as a point guard for just two seasons in his career, coming in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. However, he has always been the focal point of his team's offense as the main facilitator, regardless of whichever position he is deployed in. James is arguably one of the best playmakers the league has ever seen, with his height, vision, and formidable basketball IQ.
What makes James particularly dangerous when actually deployed as a point guard is that every single matchup will be a favorable mismatch. Even the best defensive point guards will get unmatched by The King most of the time.
As for the defensive side of the ball, LeBron has proven time and time again that he is capable of shutting down smaller, faster guards. Never forget that he successfully guarded a red-hot Jamaal Murray in the 2020 Western Conference Finals, all while hitting dagger after dagger to close the series out.
He'd go on to win the 2020 NBA Finals thereafter as an official point guard. James was once again classed as a PG next season, but would gt bounced out of the first round as his depleted Lakers fell to the Phoenix Suns.
For his two seasons playing point guard, The King averaged 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 (!) assists. He even went on to lead the league in assists in the 2019-20 campaign with a carer-high 10.2 assists (in his 17th NBA season, no less).
He may not look like the typical point guard, but LeBron's skillset, along with his physical advantages, are perfect for the 1 position. He might have gone on to be the greatest point guard ever if he had officially been a point guard consistently.
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