James drives to the basket in March 2008. A deft finisher, he led the NBA in scoring and shooting percentage near the rim in 2013.[189]
Standing at six feet, eight inches tall and weighing 250 pounds, James has been called the best physical specimen in sports by some sports analysts and publications.[190][191] He has started at small forward and power forward, but can also play the other three positions.[192] With career averages of 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game,[73] he is considered one of the most versatile players in the NBA,[121] and has been compared to Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.[28][193]James has earned All-NBA honors every season since his sophomore year, All-Defensive honors every season since 2009, and was named Rookie of the Year in his debut season.[73] With four MVP awards, he is part of a select group of players who have won the award four times, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, andBill Russell; only he and Russell have won four MVP awards in a five year span.[194] While James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, he has finished second in the voting twice and lists it as one of his main goals.[64][195] Since 2011, he has been ranked the best player in the NBA by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.[b][c]
In Cleveland, James was used as an on-ball point forward.[121] Although his shooting tendencies were perimeter-oriented,[121] he established himself as one of the best slashers and finishers in basketball, leading the NBA in three point plays in 2006.[204] During his tenure with the Cavaliers, he was frequently criticized for not having developed a reliable jump shot or post game,[205]areas he improved in Miami, where Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed James' role to a more unconventional one.[121] James began spending more time in the post and shooting fewer three-pointers, attempting a career-low 149 in 2012.[73][121] He improved his shot selection and accuracy on jump shots, finishing second in the league in catch-and-shoot field goal percentage in 2013.[206] He also learned how to work as an off-ball cutter in the Heat's "pass-happy" offense.[207] Throughout his career, James' playmaking ability has been praised; in one article, Grantland's Zach Lowe called him "one of the greatest passers ever".[208] Using his size, vision, and the attention he garners from opposing defenses to his advantage,[209] James is able to create easy points for his teammates with accurate assists, manufacturing a league leading 2.6 three-pointers per game by way of his passing alone in 2013.[210] ESPN's Tom Haberstroh has called James' free throw shooting his biggest weakness, describing it as "average".[211]
At the beginning of James' career, he was considered a poor defensive player,[212] but improved steadily through the years. Near the end of his tenure in Cleveland, he became proficient at the chase-down block; coming in from behind the opposition in transition to block their shot.[63] In Miami, he developed into a more versatile defender, and the Heat relied on him to guard all five positions.[213] Paired with teammates Shane Battier and Dwyane Wade, Miami used James in an ultra-aggressive defensive scheme,[214] with James cheating off the ball to help out inside or get into rebounding position.[215] In 2014, James was criticized for having a down defensive season, stemming from a lack of effort and a tendency for "coasting".[216]
James' clutch play has been the subject of much scrutiny throughout his career. He has been repeatedly criticized by the media for his play in pressure situations; specifically, for passing instead of shooting in the waning seconds of close games.[217][218] In a 2011 interview, teammate Chris Bosh stated that he would rather have Dwyane Wade take a last-second shot than James.[219] On the other hand, a 2011 article by Henry Abbott revealed that James had a better shooting percentage with the game on the line than such notables as Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant.[220] Additionally, a 2012 feature by ESPN ranked three of James' playoff performances as some of the greatest in NBA history.[52]
