1. LeBron James
Was there really any doubt that LeBron James would be at the top of this list? If you’re widely considered to be the best basketball player on the entire planet, being number one on our list is pretty much a no-brainer. Last year, despite missing 13 games in the regular season due to an assortment of injuries, James averaged 25.3 points, 7.4 assists, 6.0Â rebounds and 1.6 steals in 36.1 minutes per game.
James led the Cavs through an injury-riddled playoff journey that eventually placed them in the 2015 NBA Finals. Despite Love being lost for the remainder of the playoffs following the sweep of the Boston Celtics and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving not being available for all but one game of the NBA Finals, James put on a jaw-dropping campaign against the Golden State Warriors.
Although the Cavs lost the series in six games to the Warriors, the never-say-die effort and stats James compiled were nothing short of unbelievable and inspiring. “The King” played absolutely out of his mind, as he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals in a whopping 45.8 minutes per game during the 2015 NBA Finals. For the 2015-16 season, expect a healthy James-led Cavs squad to have a firm grasp on the Eastern Conference and hopefully en route to Cleveland’s first sports title in a little over 51 years.
