LeBron James Grades & Analysis — SF | Los Angeles Lakers

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Career StatsA+

Year	GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3PT%	FT%
Career	1622	20.9	6.1	7.2	1.2	0.6	51.5%	34.8%	73.7%
2025-26	60	20.9	6.1	7.2	1.2	0.6	51.5%	31.7%	73.7%
2024-25	70	24.4	7.8	8.2	1.0	0.6	51.3%	37.6%	78.2%
2023-24	71	25.7	7.3	8.3	1.3	0.5	54.0%	41.0%	75.0%
2022-23	55	28.9	8.3	6.8	0.9	0.6	50.0%	32.1%	76.8%
2021-22	56	30.3	8.2	6.2	1.3	1.1	52.4%	35.9%	75.6%
2020-21	45	25.0	7.7	7.8	1.1	0.6	51.3%	36.5%	69.8%
2019-20	67	25.3	7.8	10.2	1.2	0.5	49.3%	34.8%	69.3%
2018-19	55	27.4	8.5	8.3	1.3	0.6	51.0%	33.9%	66.5%
2017-18	82	27.5	8.6	9.1	1.4	0.9	54.2%	36.7%	73.1%
2016-17	74	26.4	8.6	8.7	1.2	0.6	54.8%	36.3%	67.4%
2015-16	76	25.3	7.4	6.8	1.4	0.6	52.0%	30.9%	73.1%
2014-15	69	25.3	6.0	7.4	1.6	0.7	48.8%	35.4%	71.0%
2013-14	77	27.1	6.9	6.4	1.6	0.3	56.7%	37.9%	75.0%
2012-13	76	26.8	8.0	7.3	1.7	0.9	56.5%	40.6%	75.3%
2011-12	62	27.1	7.9	6.2	1.9	0.8	53.1%	36.2%	77.1%
2010-11	79	26.7	7.5	7.0	1.6	0.6	51.0%	33.0%	75.9%
2009-10	76	29.7	7.3	8.6	1.6	1.0	50.3%	33.3%	76.7%
2008-09	81	28.4	7.6	7.2	1.7	1.1	48.9%	34.4%	78.0%
2007-08	75	30.0	7.9	7.2	1.8	1.1	48.4%	31.5%	71.2%
2006-07	78	27.3	6.7	6.0	1.6	0.7	47.6%	31.9%	69.8%
2005-06	79	31.4	7.0	6.6	1.6	0.8	48.0%	33.5%	73.8%
2004-05	80	27.2	7.3	7.2	2.2	0.7	47.2%	35.1%	75.0%
2003-04	79	20.9	5.5	5.9	1.6	0.7	41.7%	29.0%	75.4%

Performance Grade by Season

PeakA+LongevityHall of Fame WorkloadRecentA

Season	GP	PTS	REB	AST	FG%	Grade
2025-26	60	20.9	6.1	7.2	51.5%	A A Top 9%
2024-25	70	24.4	7.8	8.2	51.3%	A A Top 9%
2023-24	71	25.7	7.3	8.3	54.0%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2022-23	55	28.9	8.3	6.8	50.0%	A A Top 9%
2021-22	56	30.3	8.2	6.2	52.4%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2020-21	45	25.0	7.7	7.8	51.3%	A A Top 9%
2019-20	67	25.3	7.8	10.2	49.3%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2018-19	55	27.4	8.5	8.3	51.0%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2017-18	82	27.5	8.6	9.1	54.2%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2016-17	74	26.4	8.6	8.7	54.8%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2015-16	76	25.3	7.4	6.8	52.0%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2014-15	69	25.3	6.0	7.4	48.8%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2013-14	77	27.1	6.9	6.4	56.7%	A A Top 9%
2012-13	76	26.8	8.0	7.3	56.5%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2011-12	62	27.1	7.9	6.2	53.1%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2010-11	79	26.7	7.5	7.0	51.0%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2009-10	76	29.7	7.3	8.6	50.3%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2008-09	81	28.4	7.6	7.2	48.9%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2007-08	75	30.0	7.9	7.2	48.4%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2006-07	78	27.3	6.7	6.0	47.6%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2005-06	79	31.4	7.0	6.6	48.0%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2004-05	80	27.2	7.3	7.2	47.2%	A+ A+ Top 3%
2003-04	79	20.9	5.5	5.9	41.7%	B+ B+ Top 20%

Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.

Recent Games

Date	OPP	Result	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG	3PT	+/-
Tue, 5/12	vs OKC	L 110-115	40	24	12	3	0	1	8-18	2-6	-17
Sun, 5/10	vs OKC	L 108-131	37	19	6	8	1	0	7-19	2-6	-24
Fri, 5/8	@ OKC	L 107-125	38	23	2	6	3	0	9-18	1-4	-9
Wed, 5/6	@ OKC	L 90-108	36	27	4	6	1	0	12-17	3-6	-6
Sat, 5/2	@ HOU	W 98-78	37	28	7	8	0	0	10-25	2-5	+26
Thu, 4/30	vs HOU	L 93-99	39	25	3	7	2	0	9-20	0-6	-5
Mon, 4/27	@ HOU	L 96-115	33	10	4	9	0	0	2-9	0-3	-18
Sat, 4/25	@ HOU	W 112-108	45	29	13	6	3	1	10-22	4-9	0
Wed, 4/22	vs HOU	W 101-94	39	28	8	7	1	0	8-20	2-5	+6
Sun, 4/19	vs HOU	W 107-98	38	19	8	13	2	1	9-15	1-2	+11

Contract Value Index (CVI)

C+

Fair Value

OverpayFair ValueGreat Value

Among SF contracts at this AAV tier, LeBron James earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI). At 41 years old in his 23rd season, James delivered a 2025-26 campaign of 20.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 7.2 APG across 60 games—production that justifies his A+ performance grade and reinforces his status as a transcendent on-court force—yet his $52.6M AAV on a one-year deal reflects the structural tension between his individual excellence and the organizational uncertainty now surrounding his immediate future. The CVI grade reflects a collision between elite talent and genuine question marks about roster construction: James himself has publicly acknowledged that Oklahoma City "out-talented" the Lakers in the playoffs, a candid admission that undercuts the value proposition of paying a franchise-altering salary for a player on a squad the media has begun framing as potentially needing to chart a post-LeBron direction. At the longtime veteran stage, James commands max-tier compensation that remains defensible on talent grounds, yet the delayed free-agency timeline stretching into August and recent roster moves—re-signing Nick Smith Jr. while waiving Kobe Bufkin—read more like damage control than championship reinforcement, compounding the sense that the organization's faith in its ability to contend around him may be wavering. The one-year structure offers the Lakers flexibility heading into the offseason, but it also codifies the fundamental mismatch: elite individual production on a max contract without the surrounding roster depth needed to credibly challenge at the Finals level. James's unimpeachable legacy and continued on-court excellence prevent this grade from falling further, but the cloud of uncertainty surrounding both his basketball future and the franchise's commitment to competitive construction keeps the CVI verdict solidly in middling territory.

Performance Analysis

A+

#4 of 119 Small Forwards

FCA+

LeBron James is playing at an elite level this season, earning an A+ Performance grade. Among NBA small forwards, he's producing at an All-Star or All-NBA caliber. He's averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists through 1622 games — carrying a significant offensive load. LeBron's strongest area is APG at 7.2, which compares favorably to the small forward median of 4.0. The biggest area for growth is FG% at 51.5 (small forward median: 46.0). Among 119 NBA small forwards graded this season, LeBron ranks 4th. LeBron is a cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers' roster and is performing at a level that warrants his place among the league's best.

Current Sentiment

A-

Very Positive

NegativeNeutralPositive

Recent headlines push LeBron James's sentiment grade to an A-, with the Los Angeles Lakers' broader season shaping the read. At 41 years old in his 23rd season, James remains historically decorated—four MVPs, four Finals MVPs, and All-NBA selections spanning two decades—yet the narrative has fundamentally shifted away from celebrating on-court excellence toward wrestling with structural uncertainty that is rare and unprecedented for a player of his stature. His 2025-26 production of 20.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 7.2 APG across 60 games fully aligns with an A+ performance grade, yet media observers have zeroed in on the mismatch between his individual excellence and a Lakers roster that appears talent-deficient relative to playoff contenders—a dynamic James himself reinforced by admitting Oklahoma City "out-talented" the team in the playoffs. The delayed announcement of his free-agency decision stretching into August, combined with rare speculation that the Lakers may be forced to chart a post-LeBron direction, has introduced a power-dynamic tension that suppresses enthusiasm even among reverent analysts; organizational moves like the re-signing of Nick Smith Jr. and waiver of Kobe Bufkin read more like roster damage control than championship reinforcement. The defining tension of this moment remains the gap between his unimpeachable on-court excellence and the cloud of uncertainty surrounding his immediate basketball future, keeping sentiment solid but cooling rather than celebratory as the basketball world awaits his August decision on whether to continue his career.

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LeBron James

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Career StatsA+

Performance Grade by Season

Recent Games

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Performance Analysis

Current Sentiment

Contracts in the Same Value Band

How LeBron Compares at the Position

Transaction History

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