Different teams
LeBron James is now aiming for his 10th NBA Finals appearance and fourth championship, his first with the Los Angeles Lakers and teammate Anthony Davis. James has played with a number of great players during his stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. What about Davis? Is he the best big man James has ever had since he entered the NBA in 2003? Is he James’s best teammate, period? Davis may not have a title on his resume, but his individual talent and ability to complement James to near perfection position the Los Angeles Lakers forward as the ideal partner.
The big men
James made his first NBA Finals appearance in 2007, a four-game series against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. In the middle was Zydrunas Ilgauskas. "The fact that he took Cleveland to the Finals during his first run is probably more of a miracle than anything else he has achieved in his career," said an Eastern Conference executive. The team’s second-leading scorer was Larry Hughes (14.9 points per game), followed by Ilgauskas (11.9) and then Drew Gooden (11.1). "Zydrunas is a cult hero in Cleveland," said a former Western Conference executive. 'If he played now, he’d be a perennial All-Star.' Beyond the sentimental value for Ilgauskas, the heart of the debate is Davis vs. Chris Bosh and Kevin Love. "I don’t even think it’s close. Anthony Davis is much better than all those guys," said the Eastern Conference executive. "Bosh and Love are really good players, but AD is on another level. "Bosh was strong, but AD has almost reached his MVP potential," said Andre Snellings of ESPN. "If we take fit into account, I could say that Davis is the best partner at any position LeBron has ever had." Bosh’s best individual season with James and the Heat was the 2010-11 season, when he averaged 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, but his efficiency and shot-blocking improved in later seasons as his scoring and rebounding declined. "AD is better than Bosh, but Bosh was a beast," said the former Western Conference executive. Bosh and James Harden went to four consecutive NBA Finals and won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. James also went to four straight Finals with Love, with a championship in 2016. Bosh and Love also shared the floor with elite players Dwyane Wade and Kyrie Irving, a luxury Davis doesn’t have. Just like these players, there are Lebron basketball shoes worldwide and Kyrie Irving basketball shoes with the legendary flytrap.
The top 3
"Wade had a near MVP-caliber season in 2009-10 and he had a title. I’d say Wade, Davis and then Kyrie," said the current Western Conference executive. "But I really believe Davis has the chance to go down as the best of them, because he’s so talented." Wade, who retired after the 2018/19 season, has the advantage of a completed career, while Davis, Irving and Love are all still active. Wade led the league in scoring with 30.2 points per game in 2008-2009 before James’ arrival and then averaged 25.5 points and 4.6 assists in his first year with the Big Three. "I’d say Wade at his best was better than AD at his best," said Snellings. "But Wade’s and LeBron’s skills overlap more, while Davis complements LeBron perfectly."
