SCORING
The yardstick against whom all great and wannabe-great players in the 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-8 range is, of course, Michael Jordan. James doesn’t have the signature fall-away jumper that Jordan had late in his career and isn’t as quick to the basket for dunks like the early Air Jordan.

INTERACTIVE Comparing LeBron James to the greats Introduction Scoring Rebounding Passing Ballhandling Defense Intangibles

But he’s strong and quick enough to dominate and perhaps lead the league in scoring in just his second pro season. James’ game is more diverse than Julius Erving’s or Elgin Baylor’s. Those two high-risers did not have the range on their outside shot that James possesses. Rick Barry did not get to the basket the way James does.

Oscar Robertson wasn’t as quick as James but may have been the best ever at maneuvering for a high-percentage shot, no matter the matchup. One player whose game was similar to James is Clyde Drexler, who could swoop to the hoop for dunks and score from outside. The main difference is that Drexler relied more on quickness to get to the basket. James can do it with strength, too.

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