Lebron James played in threes NBA franchise — Cleveland, Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers – and success has accompanied him to every station on his way.
But which version of James was the best?
On Monday’s Undisputed show, Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless sat down at their desks to find out which version of King James was the most regal, and Bayless landed on the LeBron returning to Cleveland in 2015-18.
“The greatest thing I’ve ever seen was LeBron in 2015, his freshman year back in Cleveland, against Golden State in the finals,” Bayless said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. … For me the best stretch of his career was 2015 and 2016, Cleveland for the second time.”
Which is the best version of LeBron: Cleveland, Miami or LA?
There has been a debate on social media as to which version of LeBron is the best between his two separate stints in Cleveland, his time in Miami and his current tenure in Los Angeles. Skip and Shannon decide.
In his two stints in Cleveland (2004-10, 2015-18), James averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He was a 2008 NBA scoring champion, won the 2009 and 2010 NBA MVP, was a 2016 NBA Finals MVP, was a first-team All-Defense in 2009 and 2010, and a first-team All-NBA in 2006, 2008 and 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
During his tenure at Cleveland, he won a singles title in 2016.
For Sharpe, James was best at his second stop.
“He was at the peak of his powers [in Miami]. He could sit in a chair. He could guard one through five, and we’ve seen him do it on a number of occasions. … So for me, I’m going to take Miami LeBron because I think he was at the peak of his offensive and defensive powers.
While his stint in South Beach was brief (2011-14), James made the most of it. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists over four seasons. He won both 2012 and 2013 NBA MVP and Finals MVP, winning titles in both years. He was a first-team All-Defense from 2011-2013 and a first-team All-NBA in all four seasons at Miami.
James is currently in his fifth season with the Lakers and has had a rollercoaster ride so far.
James averages 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists in LA. He won a title in 2020 and was named Finals MVP. He was also a First-Team All-NBA that season. But the Lakers have only made the playoffs twice in James’ four years in town.
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