After his 38-point, 11-rebound, 12-assist triple double against the Cavaliers on Monday, LeBron James’s per-game averages are up to 30.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 2022. This season has become about numbers for James, who is racking up individual accolades amid what’s otherwise been a disastrous season for the Lakers. James is threatening to lead the league in scoring, and if he maintains his scoring average, he’ll be at 30 points a night for the first time since his first stint in Cleveland. His play has raised the question—is this the best individual season of James’s career? The short answer: No.
The longer answer: As great as James has been at times, his impact has been muted in Year 19. Part of that is the Lakers’ roster construction (which James himself had a hand in), and part of that is James’s mixed defensive effort compared to yesteryear. Overall, Los Angeles has a minus-2 net rating (per Cleaning the Glass) with James on the floor, his lowest mark and only other negative differential since his rookie season. We’ve seen James drag teams into the postseason before (he took a roster with Larry Hughes as its second-leading scorer to the Finals!), so I think it’s fair to say 2022 doesn’t rank among his best.
Though you can’t fully separate out his team’s success, here’s how I would rank James’s three best regular seasons on a largely individual basis.
