The first round of All-Star voting results are out! James ranks third in the West! The King of Votes is still him! As new talents emerge in the NBA, older stars gradually fade from the league. Even former poster players cannot change this fate; they just fade out more slowly. The highly anticipated NBA All-Star Game is getting closer. On January 3, 2025, Beijing time, the NBA officially announced the first phase of the 2025 All-Star voting results, with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the top vote-getter and LeBron James ranking third among Western Conference frontcourt players. Giannis' popularity is undeniable. Despite being in a small market, his personal strength is impressive, especially after winning the NBA championship and MVP this year. He is now the top vote-getter in the Eastern Conference and the entire league. It's worth noting that Giannis was also the top vote-getter in both the Eastern Conference and the entire league in last year's first-round All-Star voting, which shows the high level of his skills and popularity. Giannis has a good chance of winning the top vote-getter again this year, as the All-Star selection is primarily based on popularity, unlike the regular-season MVP voting rules. Looking at last year's top vote-getter, LeBron James, he is only third among Western Conference frontcourt players in this year's first-round voting. The King is indeed getting older, but he still has the skills. The league is now dominated by young players, and this transition is reasonable. If LeBron were to remain the top vote-getter every year until retirement, that would be unusual.…

Facing the Trail Blazers, who are third from the bottom in the West, the Lakers also found themselves in a tough battle, one reason being the absence of "Big Brow" Anthony Davis, their core frontcourt player. However, the Lakers managed to secure a victory without much trouble, with LeBron James showing his enduring prowess and Max Christie delivering the best performance of his career, giving the Lakers a good start to their back-to-back games. Winning the game, the Lakers could be said to have experienced three pieces of good fortune. Firstly, two frontcourt players performed outstandingly, making up for the absence of Davis. Jackson Hayes made his comeback debut, playing only 18 minutes but with very high efficiency, contributing 4 points and 6 rebounds. After the game, Jackson Hayes told the media that he had never been absent for so long in his career, but he was happy to return to the court and help the Lakers win a game while performing well himself. If Jackson Hayes is naturally impressive when healthy, Christian Kolok's performance in this game can be called a trump card. He scored 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. As a two-way contract player, Christian Kolok's original advantage lies in his strong defense, but in this game, he also made gains on the offensive end, grabbing as many as 6 offensive rebounds, giving the Lakers plenty of second-chance opportunities. Honestly, even if a typical benchwarmer occasionally performs like this, it's more than enough for the Lakers. Furthermore, after completing a collaboration with the Nets, the Lakers' overall…

On January 3rd, Beijing time, the Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers 114:106 at home without Anthony Davis, securing their 19th victory of the season and maintaining sixth place in the Western Conference with a record of 19 wins and 14 losses. The 40-year-old LeBron James scored 38 points and had 8 assists.‌ In this game, LeBron James played for 36 minutes and 12 seconds, shooting 15 out of 25 from the field and 7 out of 10 from three-point range, scoring 38 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and dishing out 8 assists, with the only downside being four turnovers. It's hard to imagine a 40-year-old player having such dominance in the NBA before James.‌ This season marks LeBron James' 21st NBA season, during which he is averaging 20.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, playing an average of 35 minutes per game, ranking 24th in the league.‌ After watching this game, many fans, like the author, couldn't help but wonder where LeBron James currently ranks among NBA players in terms of individual ability.‌ Currently, James ranks 18th in the league in scoring average. Behind him, the only players who could potentially challenge his ranking are Curry at 24th and Harden at 27th, but their performance this season has been far inferior to James'.‌ Among the players scoring more than James, I personally feel that there are only a few whose current individual abilities surpass James': Giannis Antetokounmpo, SGA, Jokic, Tatum, and Doncic. Players like Davis, Edwards, Irving, Brunson, Towns, and Durant are roughly on par…

Tonight, after defeating the Blazers, the Lakers have chased their Western Conference record to sixth place. Initially, without Davis, the Lakers faced a tough challenge on the offensive end. However, with James' outburst, the Lakers easily overcame the Blazers in just the second quarter. James recently celebrated his 40th birthday and remains a popular figure in the league. Despite being the Lakers' second-in-command and a box office draw, James trails in the first phase of All-Star voting, not appearing on the starting lineup alongside Curry. His teammate Davis is on the starting list, so James must continue to work hard, performing well in upcoming games to gain enough votes and support from other channels. The Lakers hosted the Blazers, a young team lacking the presence of Lillard, resulting in a lack of intimidation. They resemble a group of scattered soldiers, capable of winning if they play well but prone to losing if Simmons performs poorly, making them an unstable underachieving team. The Lakers' second-in-command, James, was excited and fully engaged in attack mode from the start, seemingly looking forward to Finney-Smith's contributions off the bench after Russell's trade. In this game, Smith scored only single digits, shooting 1 for 6 and 0 for 4 from three-point range. He needs to adapt to the Lakers' basket and improve his shooting percentage to help James enhance the team's record. Davis was unable to play, but Reeves has been outstanding in recent games, especially with his buzzer-beater against the Warriors during Christmas Day. Reeves has become Redick's most reliable ace, apart from Davis…

On January 3rd, Beijing time, the NBA officially announced the details of the first phase of the 2025 All-Star voting today. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are the top vote-getters in the East and West respectively. Compared to last year's first phase of All-Star voting, there are six unexpected results in 2025. James is only ranked 5th. James received 1,167,661 votes this year, ranking third among Western frontcourt players; if we look at the entire league, James' votes can only rank fifth, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Tatum, and Durant. Last year in the first phase, James had 2,008,645 votes, ranking first in the West and second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the entire league. It is possible that James' performance has declined this year, leading to a decrease in votes, or it could be that James' fans have not yet exerted their full strength. Curry is ranked 12th. It is unclear whether it is due to a significant drop in Curry's statistics this year, as he only received 810,357 votes in the first phase of voting, ranking third among Western backcourt players; among all players, Curry's votes could only rank 12th. Last year, Curry had nearly 1.4 million votes in the first phase, which is about 600,000 more than this year. If Curry's votes cannot rank first among backcourt players this year, he may miss out on being an All-Star starter again, just like last year. The magic of Harry disappears. In this year's first phase of voting, Harry Bertrand received 1.39 million votes, ranking first among Eastern guards; however,…

The NBA Storm: Curry's Decline and the Struggling Warriors Introduction: Why are the superstars not performing anymore? The NBA has some explosive news! Hey, basketball fans! The NBA is the most passionate place in our hearts as sports enthusiasts. The intense collisions on the court and the super performances of the stars always get us so excited that our hearts race. But now, the league situation has changed dramatically, becoming a fierce competition among many teams, with old stars and new faces playing together. However, there is something surprising to tell you all: although the popularity still focuses on the established stars like James, Curry, and Durant, there are many problems on the court! The game pace is so fast that it feels like the wind is blowing, everyone relies on shooting for points, the physical confrontations are soft, lacking strength, and the entertainment value is dropping rapidly. Even the dunk contest and the All-Star Game are getting worse year by year, which is really boring to watch. Today, let's focus on the legendary superstar Curry, how did he fall from the sky to the "ground," and how did the Warriors, who looked so powerful, become shaky and about to sink? There are many suspenseful moments, follow me to take a look! I. The Twilight of the Old Stars: Behind the Glamour Lies Trouble (1) James: Still Super Strong at Forty James entered the league in 03 and just turned 40. He is undoubtedly a "veteran" in the league. On the court, he can still average 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds,…

NBA regular season, the Lakers defeated the Blazers 114-106. The Lakers trailed in the first quarter, but they turned the tide in the second quarter. However, there was a power outage in the fourth quarter when they had a big lead, fortunately, James returned to the court and managed to stabilize the score, eventually securing the victory. Three players had excellent performances throughout the game. James is crucial for the Lakers, as evidenced by the consecutive points they lost during his rest period in the fourth quarter, proving him to be the team's absolute pillar. James scored 38 points and provided 8 assists, displaying an aggressive performance. Rivers also played well, although his shooting percentage was a bit low, his penetration and distribution have become an indispensable part of the team. Moreover, each of his passes greatly motivated his teammates, and he impressed everyone in this game. Christie remained a focal point. Especially in the fourth quarter, he was able to capitalize on James and Rivers' passes, and Christie could also dribble and create damage, which allowed him to score 28 points in the entire game, becoming a key factor in securing the victory for the team in the decisive period. Hayes, Koloko, Smith, Reddish, and Milton all had passable performances. Hayes and Koloko held their ground under the basket. Since Davis did not play in this game, they combined to grab 14 rebounds and performed well defensively. At the same time, Smith's control of the defense was excellent, consistently maintaining perfect help defense, making him the most critical point…

Recently, the NBA trading market has been buzzing again, with everyone naturally most concerned about the future of LeBron James. It's being said that the Warriors have once again set their sights on James, with reports even suggesting that they are seriously considering a trade with the Lakers. Can you imagine how eagerly fans are awaiting such an event? The question is, does James actually want to leave? Or is it simply that he loves Los Angeles too much, unwilling to part with its sunshine and the warmth of his family? This is quite the conundrum. Let's start with the Warriors' stance. As we all know, the Warriors have been in the limelight these past few years, with Curry's leadership unquestionable. However, deep down, they always felt that having just one superstar like Curry wasn't enough. You see, Curry has reached his peak, but if they want to make another championship run, they still feel they're missing someone who can play hard and fight. Who could be more capable of playing hard and fighting than James? Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Bob Myers have already started planning, hoping to secure James and form a super duo with Curry and James. Together, they would not only ensure an invincible offensive front but also bring full firepower defensively. Most importantly, the chemistry between Curry and James is well-known, akin to their partnership in the Olympics, which was truly a match made in heaven. To this end, the Warriors are not afraid to spend big, preparing to offer potential young players…

Triple-doubles refer to a game in which three out of the five basic statistics reach double digits. Generally, it is easier for points, rebounds, and assists to reach double figures, and most players' triple-doubles are of this type. In NBA history, the player with the most triple-doubles is Westbrook, who has an impressive 201, far ahead of other current players. Even a versatile player like James falls short by 81 compared to Westbrook. However, there are two current players who still have a chance to break this record. Let's take a look at who they are! The Value of Westbrook's 201 Triple-Doubles The 16-17 season was when fans redefined the concept of a triple-double. That year, Westbrook achieved the second-ever average triple-double in NBA history. The first was by the early NBA great, Oscar Robertson (known as "the Big O"). Before this, people didn't have much of a concept about averaging a triple-double. After that, triple-doubles were rare, something many players could only occasionally achieve, making them very precious. This is why we saw the bizarre incident where James' former teammate, Ricky Davis, attempted to grab his own missed shot to pad his rebound stats in pursuit of a triple-double. After all, triple-doubles are hard to come by, and missing one might mean not getting another chance for a while. In that season, after Durant left, Westbrook took on the offensive burden for the Thunder and transformed into a ball-dominant core player. He averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game, achieving 42 triple-doubles in a single season.…

With the continuous evolution of NBA gameplay, scoring has become much easier for players today compared to a decade ago. This season alone, more than 40 players in the league are averaging over 20 points per game. Considering that superstar pairings have become commonplace in the current NBA, we've seen numerous high-scoring duos emerge, with some teams boasting an average combined score of over 50 points. For instance, this season's Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have a combined average of 58.6 points. However, since the regular season is far from over, their performance may still fluctuate. Excluding this season, let's take a look at the highest-scoring duos in NBA history. Anthony & Iverson (52.1 points per game in the 08 season) In the mid-2006-2007 season, Allen Iverson was traded to the Nuggets. Although he was no longer at his peak, he still had considerable scoring ability. At the same time, the Nuggets' star player Carmelo Anthony had matured, forming a formidable outside shooting duo with Iverson. By the 2007-2008 season, both their averages ranked in the top five in the league, with Iverson averaging 26.4 points (third in the league) and Anthony following closely with 25.7 points (fourth in the league). Under the leadership of Anthony and Iverson, the Nuggets won five more games in the regular season than the previous year. However, due to fierce competition in the West, their ranking actually dropped to eighth in the West, and they were eliminated in the first round that year. James & Wade (52.2 points per game in the 11…