Eight LeBron James Stats for Haters to Consider

Admit it: You think this has all been ridiculous.

If LeBron James was so good, wouldn't his team still be playing?

Wouldn't he have as many championships as Michael Jordan by now?

Or Kobe Bryant?

Or even Kevin Garnett?

You are what we call a "LeBron Hater", and you think LeBron James is the most overrated thing since sliced bread.

Well, think again.

LeBron James has put up some of the most incredible numbers of all time at a very young age, and is only just now entering what most players would consider their "prime."

The best is yet to come, haters.

40.34 Minutes Per Game: Fifth Best All Time

Do you want to know how many players have ever averaged as many minutes per game as the 40.34 that LeBron James has averaged so far in his career?

Four: Allen Iverson, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain.

The top ten is rounded out with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Jerry Lucas, Bob Petit, and Latrell Sprewell (okay, didn't see that one coming).

LeBron is one of six players ever to average 40 or more minutes per game, and only one of two to have played since 1990.

27.83 Points Per Game: Third Best All Time

Wanna know who has averaged more points per game than LeBron?

A couple of guys named Jordan and Chamberlain. LeBron is currently one of three players with 27 or more points per game, along with Jordan, Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.

26.86 Player Efficiency Rating: Second Best All Time

I am not sure what this statistic means, but it is on basketball-reference.com and LeBron is second all time behind only Michael Jordan.

The next guy on the list is Shaquille O'Neal, followed by David Robinson and then Wilt Chamberlain.

6.95 Assists Per Game: 26th All-Time

This is where it starts to get weird.

Of the Top Ten Scorers of All Time, do you know who is ahead of LeBron is assists per game? Only the Big O. Jordan is 81st all time, Kobe is 113th, and Wilt is 129th.

Kinda makes LeBron's 26th a big deal, right?

7.0 Rebounds per game

Of the top scorers in NBA history, guess which ones averaged 7.0 or more rebounds per game.

Not Kobe (5.3) and not Jordan (6.22)

Just the centers—Wilt, Shaq, Kareem, Russell—plus Oscar Robertson.

Even Magic Johnson only averaged 7.2 rebounds per game.

2009-2010 Assists per game rank: Sixth

LeBron James finished the 2009-2010 seasons ranked sixth in the NBA in assists.

Ahead of him were five point guards: Nash, Paul, Williams, Rondo, Kidd

Behind him were several more: David, Westbrook, Harris, Wade, Rose, Calderon, Curry.

2009-2010 Points per game rank: Second

LeBron finished the season ranked second to Kevin Durant in points per game with 29.7 to Durants 30.1.

Of course, LeBron averaged a 29.7-7.3-8.6, while Durant averaged a 30.1-7.6-2.8, so I'm thinking LeBron had the bigger impact season.

And don't get me wrong. Well done Mr. Durant, but LeBron has finished first or second in the league in scoring each of the last three years, while finishing in the top five in each of the last six years.

You know, back to when Durant was in high school.

2009-2010 Significant Teammate Contributions: Zero

LeBron James led his team in scoring in 2009-2010. No one else on the team averaged more than 15.8 points.

LeBron James led his team in assists in 2009-2010. No one else on the team averaged more than 5.3 assists.

Besides Antawn Jamison, who played only 25 games for the Cavaliers, LeBron James finished second on his team in rebounds in 2009-2010 with 7.3 per game compared to Anderson Varejao's 7.6.

During the 2009-2010 season, Kobe Bryant played on a team with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum.

Kevin Garnett had Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen.

Dwight Howard had Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, and Jameer Nelson.

Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire had each other.

Meanwhile, LeBron James had Mo Williams, an aging Shaquille O'Neal, and a part season of Antawn Jamison.

Put LeBron on any of those other teams, and the NBA Finals would already be over.

It never would have gotten to Game Seven.