LeBron James' 'Otherworldly' Basketball IQ Praised by 76ers Teammate, 'It Doesn't Feel Real'

Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James may not have the same athletic burst he once had, but he has still found ways to leave his teammates speechless in his unprecedented 24th season.

While speaking with reporters on Friday, Sixers power forward Dean Wade raved about James' basketball intelligence.

"His IQ is otherworldly," Wade said. "I've never met a person that has a higher basketball IQ than him... It's shocking how he can sniff out a play before they even get set. It's unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it. He's just an unbelievable teammate and just an unselfish player. The way he passes the ball, the things he sees on the court, is unbelievable. It really is like — it doesn't feel real."

James has managed to outpace Father Time by altering his game: He has become a tailor, and the court has been his atelier. In the latter stages of his career, the 41-year-old has adapted to fit his teammates, his opponents and the league.

When asked for an example of James' intelligence on the court, Wade reflected on a moment early in the season when James was able to diagnose a play and get the Sixers in position to get a defensive stop.

"Like, a team came out of a timeout," Wade said. "I don't remember — it was early. ... I think it was the Knicks, but they came out of a timeout, and he was standing there, and they lined up. And as soon as they lined up, he's like, 'Oh, it's backside! It's backside!' And they ran play, and he called out every action of the play, and that was like his first game. ... It was crazy."

Wade spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He never got to play alongside James, who left the Cavaliers to join the Los Angeles Lakers the same year Wade entered the league, but he was able to witness the crowd's reaction when the superstar returned to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers in 2024 and 2026.

The Akron native is returning to his home state to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, and Wade expects a raucous environment inside Rocket Arena.

"In my seven years here, anytime that LeBron came back it was just a madhouse," Wade said. "It was crazy. The fans were awesome. So I expect that is what tonight's going to be like."

James has helped lead the 76ers to a 8-1 record to start the season. Although the NBA's all-time leading scorer hasn't lit up the scoreboard, it's evident that his contributions go beyond the numbers in the box score.