USA Today via Reuters
Jan 30, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) comes from behind Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) to steal the ball during the third quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 30, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) comes from behind Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) to steal the ball during the third quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James is possibly the greatest basketball player of all time. While there is a raging debate about that, considering the man ahead is Michael Jordan, LeBron has done enough to stake a claim to that title. It isn’t easy to surpass MJ, but LeBron is proving that longevity may help tip the scales in his favor.
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LeBron James has hit four three-pointers against the Boston Celtics. However, the first one of the night made some history. That allowed LBJ to surpass JR Smith, the man he won two championships with, on the all-time three-point shooting list. He is behind ‘ISO’ Joe Johnson and Dirk Nowitzki.
Congrats to @KingJames of the @Lakers for moving up to 13th on the all-time THREES MADE list! pic.twitter.com/3Ja4fNHcxV
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2021
While LeBron’s career will be mapped by his impact on the all-time scoring and possibly assists list, it speaks to his greatness when being a top-fifteen three-point shooter of all-time is just one of those things on his resume. While he definitely won’t be remembered as an elite shooter, this is proof that he was definitely a great shooter.
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LeBron James: What does this achievement mean for him?
It honestly doesn’t mean that much. LeBron James never entered the NBA court and set his sights on being on the all-time three-point list. However, the narrative for most of his career has been that he can’t shoot well. Even though he isn’t a shooter like J.J. Redick, who is two spots below him, he is more than a serviceable shooter.
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 12, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball against Houston Rockets guard John Wall (1) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The fact that LeBron has made that many threes and might average 40% shooting from three this season proves that doubts over his outside shooting ability have been a little overblown. One doesn’t make over 1900 three-points while being a decidedly bad shooter.
The fact that he is just 50 three-points behind one of the greatest shooting big-men of all-time in Nowitzki is further proof of his shooting ability. What this does is help history remember LeBron as definitely the good shooter that he had to become over his career.
