LeBron James and the Most Versatile NBA Stars of All Time

It's no coincidence that LeBron James followed up an MVP-worthy regular season with his first NBA title and second Olympic gold medal.

He's able to lead his teams to greatness thanks in large part to the wide variety of contributions he makes to those teams. Whereas most clubs are happy just to have an elite scorer and some competent role players, James is like a Swiss Army knife.

No matter the need at hand, there's almost certainly some way he can help.

He wasn't the first such player, and he won't be the last. He's just the very best the NBA has to offer at this moment in time.

Here's a look at the 15 most versatile NBA stars of all time, including man-of-the-hour (if not man-of-the-decade) LeBron James.

Elgin Baylor (1958-1971)

Along with Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor was one of the very first players to do a little bit of everything extremely well.

At just 6'5", Baylor was a mind-boggling good rebounder for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers. He had a Dennis Rodman-like nose for the ball, and he was a couple of inches shorter. 

Baylor also found a few opportunities to pass the ball. Despite averaging 27.4 points for his career, he also notched 4.3 assists. The forward brought a new brand of athleticism to the game that allowed him to play on the wing while also mixing it up in the paint.

How he'd fair in today's NBA is anyone's guess, but there's little doubt that today's NBA wouldn't look the same without this kind of predecessor.

Oscar Robertson (1960-1974)

You can't put this list together without including the league's all-time leader in triple-doubles, Oscar Robertson.

Early in his career, Robertson was a triple-double waiting to happen. In fact, he became the only player in league history to average one in 1961-62 with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and a league-leading 11.4 assists. That just doesn't happen anymore, and it's hard to imagine even LeBron James accomplishing something like that.

Of course, it goes without saying that the NBA of the early '60s isn't what it is today.

But, that shouldn't diminish how much Robertson did for the game. The 6'5" guard was the godfather of versatility.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-1989)

There are plenty arguments to be made for why guys like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were more dominant big men, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the game at a level that most centers before or since could never hope to match.

The 7'2" giant was always an elite scorer, but he was also a dominant rebounder and skilled passer during his prime years.

In his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 27.7 points, 16.8 rebounds, five assists and 4.1 blocks.

While his opposition may not have been as stiff as what the average center has to face these days, there's still no question this guy was an incredibly gifted talent capable of impacting the game in a lot of ways.

He also brought a measure of finesse to the position that simply eludes most seven-footers at a basic level. From his scoring ability to his defensive impact, Kareem was one of the first big men to truly do it all.

Julius Erving (1976-1987)

You probably remember Julius Erving for his iconic highlights, but Dr. J was far more than a slam-dunk artist.

Though Erving was never much of a long-range threat, he was a prolific scorer thanks to his ability to do just about anything he wanted in the painted area. He could seamlessly glide into the paint, and he knew what to do once he got there.

But, Erving was also a well-rounded swingman, often averaging over six or seven rebounds a game along with three or four assists. 

The length and athleticism that has come to define the NBA wing owes much to the 6'6" Erving. He proved that you can spend time in the backcourt while still making a significant impact in the paint.

Larry Bird (1979-1992)

No, Larry Bird didn't have the quickest feet this game's every seen, but he found plenty of ways to make up for it.

In addition to emerging as one of the NBA's very best shooters in the 1980s, Bird also averaged 10 rebounds per contest thanks to his 6'9" size and excellent anticipation. Always physical and quick to the ball, Bird wasn't your typical jump-shooter.

Nor was he simply an earlier copy of Dirk Nowitzki.

This guy was also an outstanding passer, averaging 6.3 assists for his career and making the most of cohorts like Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

Bird could play either forward position, and he in many ways exemplifies the "spread-4" concept increasingly relied upon to space the floor in today's half-court offenses. 

Magic Johnson (1979-1991, 1996)

There haven't been many triple-double machines like Magic Johnson, and it's no surprise why.

At 6'9" Johnson gave the Los Angeles Lakers plenty of size. As one of the best passers the game's ever seen, he also gave them a floor general who could make the most of weapons like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.

For his career, Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals. 

The NBA wasn't used to a man that size having such quick hands and feet, and it showed. Though LeBron James inherited a lot from Dr. J's above-the-rim game, he owes just as much if not more to Magic's incredible play-making skills.

Scottie Pippen (1987-2004)

With the careers of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson coming to an end, Scottie Pippen quite simply redefined versatility for the next generation.

He popularized the notion of the "point-forward" thanks to his length and uncanny passing ability. With point guards like John Paxson and B.J. Armstrong so adept at spotting up for perimeter buckets, running the offense often became Pippen's responsibility.

But, for all his contributions to the Chicago Bulls' triangle offense, Pippen was also one of the NBA's very best defenders. He could effectively guard anyone on the wing and could hold his own against more than a few 4s.

From Tracy McGrady to LeBron James, many of the league's best forwards have Pippen to thank for expanding what it really means to be a forward.

Clyde Drexler (1983-1998)

Clyde Drexler's career line says it all.

He averaged 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 1,086 regular-season games. He averaged as many as 7.9 rebounds (in 1988-89) and eight assists (in 1985-86). As point guard Terry Porter came into the picture, Drexler became more of a pure scorer, but he continued to do a little bit of everything for the eternally underrated Portland Trail Blazers.

Drexler never got the recognition he deserved on account of that MJ guy, but he remained the Western Conference's most well-rounded shooting guard for a good five or six years.

Michael Jordan (1984-1993, 1995-1998, 2001-2003)

No, he didn't play four different positions, and Scottie Pippen usually gets all the attention as the "versatile" one, but Michael Jordan makes a case on a couple of different levels.

As arguably the most gifted scorer the game has ever seen, MJ did his damage in a number of different ways. He's as dangerous as anyone on the wing, either facing the basket or posting up. The range of moves at his disposal in either instance was too mind-boggling for merely mortal defenders to anticipate.

Jordan could also score from the perimeter or exploit opportunities off the ball, cutting to the basket or coming off screens for quick jumpers. His jumper was unguardable, and his ability to finish in the paint was equally problematic.

We all know what he did on the fast break.

And yet, for all the different ways he could score the ball, Jordan was also an elite defender, an excellent passer and a constant presence on the glass.

He may have done it all from the shooting guard spot, but that doesn't make him any less versatile.

Chris Webber (1993-2008)

Chris Webber will forever be remembered for all the wrong things, but he was one of the game's best power forwards in his day.

During his finest seasons with the Sacramento Kings, we were reminded that big men can indeed pass the ball thanks to the opportunities he found in Rick Adelman's Princeton offense. Webber worked wonders from the high-post, passing to cutters and shooting an automatic jumper in equal proportion.

He averaged 4.2 assists for his career.

Webber was also an underrated defender. He used his soft hands to rack up plenty of steals and blocks, and he notched 9.7 rebounds per game for his career.

Grant Hill (1994-Present)

Few have aged as gracefully as Grant Hill, but this guy was one of the league's very best players in his prime.

In his third season, the small forward averaged 21.4 points, nine rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals. At various points in his career, Hill's also guarded both forward positions along with some shooting guards, and done a first-rate job of it.

In his younger years, he also took on ball-handling and facilitating responsibilities. Hill looked to be one of the league's next greats until injuries derailed his stint with the Orlando Magic.

Hill's managed a successful reemergence, but it's been a long time since he did it all as the Detroit Pistons' breakout franchise player.

Kevin Garnett (1995-Present)

If Kevin Garnett weren't such a beast inside the paint, he very well could have played the 3 position earlier in his career.

He has the length of a center, the interior explosiveness of a power forward and the perimeter ability of a small forward. His jumper from the high post is one of the most automatic in the game, but his moves in the post are just as dangerous.

In 2002-03, arguably his best all-around season, KG averaged 23 points, 13.5 rebounds, six assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals.

There have always been better scorers and more dominant big men, but there's never been someone quite like Garnett.

Oh yeah, he's also one heck of a tough guy who's just as much of a leader in the locker room as he is on the floor.

Tracy McGrady (1997-Present)

After Tracy McGrady's career was decimated by injury, it's easy to forget just how good the 33-year-old was in his prime years.

He averaged as many as 32.1 points per game in 2002-03 and regularly posted over five assists and six rebounds a contest, reaching careers-highs of 6.5 and 7.9, respectively. At his best, T-Mac was a spitting image of Scottie Pippen, only with even better scoring instincts.

The 6'8" forward used his smooth athleticism to glide around the floor and make plays from anywhere.

Given just how good he was with the ball in his hands, McGrady turned the point-forward role into an art and made everything he did look awfully good.

Even with a scaled down role, today's T-Mac remains a veteran capable of making a wide range of contributions. But, it's safe to say we'll never see him do the things he did in his early 20s with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets.

Dirk Nowitzki (1998-Present)

Though he's never been a very strong defender and hasn't been a stranger to that dreaded "soft" label, Dirk Nowitzki still deserves some consideration on this list.

He's always been a good rebounder and a better passer than most men his size, but one ability in particular has qualitatively set him apart from his peers. Dirk is almost certainly the best shooter out of any seven-footer to have played the game.

You might not think much of a big man shooting over 47 percent from the field for his career. But, when that big man was shooting jump shots, it's a different story.

From behind the arc, Dirk's career mark is a similarly impressive 38 percent.

Beyond the numbers, Nowitzki showcases a wide array of moves to free himself from even the best defenders. He can turn around, fall away and pump-fake his way to open shots whether in the post or on the wing.

LeBron James (2003-Present)

In so many ways, LeBron James is the culmination of all the versatile players to come before him, the actualization of the league's best players spending decades trying to do more than the guys that came before them.

LBJ is well-rounded in every possible sense.

He produces in multiple ways, plays hard on both ends of the floor and can guard virtually any position on the floor. At 6'8" and 250 lbs, he has an unrivaled frame, but he also has the kind of uncanny athleticism you'd expect from a smaller guard.

Through the first nine years of his career, James has averaged 27.1 points, 6.2 assists and 7.9 rebounds.

More impressively, though, LeBron exerts his will defensively on the perimeter and in the post alike. Few players have taken it upon themselves to alter games in so many different ways, and few players deserve their MVPs as much as this guy.