Rawel Visual
Throughout his career, LeBron James has never really been recognized as a great 3-point shooter. More admired for his penetrating abilities towards the circle, the King revealed the reason why he refuses to specialize in the exercise.
When he arrived in the league as a Cavaliers jersey in 2003, LeBron James already impressed with his great versatility.
Capable of distiling blind caviars as well as destroying the hoop with devastating dunks, the Chosen One appeared from his debut like a real Swiss army knife at the age of 18.
Through hard work, he nevertheless managed to broaden his range of skills a little further.
Among the few shortcomings displayed by the star winger was his 3-point skill.
As a rookie, he only shot 29.0% in the field. However, he made sure to adjust his sights in the years that followed and managed to achieve several seasons with an average of over 40.0%.
Enough to question certain observers about its relatively low volume of prize-winning shots taken.
The restriction that LeBron James imposes on himself at 3 points
Coming out of his 21st season in the league, James could be satisfied with his long-distance performance. After all, his 41.0% average on the year was close to the best of his career.
And yet, this did not encourage him to try his luck from distance more than 5.1 times per match. A slight paradox that he explained to JJ Redick in his Mind The Game podcast , admitting to imposing certain limits on the matter:
LeBron James: I can guarantee you that some of our coaches at the Lakers want me to take more 3-point shots. They encourage me to do it, but I don’t want to. It’s not a question of ego. If I wanted to, I could shoot 6 or 7 3-pointers per game and attempt 12 or 14, but then I wouldn’t put enough pressure on the defense. I have to instill fear in the opposing defense.
If almost all teams now swear by the 3-point shot in the league, LeBron therefore tries to resist this trend as much as possible on a personal level.
Not because of percentages which would prove detrimental, but rather in a desire not to completely transform his game and to meet the offensive needs of his franchise.
Thus, the King remains convinced that it is better for him and the Lakers that he be aggressive and attack the rim more regularly.
A way undoubtedly to prevent opposing defenders from leaving the racket empty and freeing their teammates behind the arc.
It remains to be seen how long he can maintain this style of play before his physique no longer allows it.
Despite his notable progress in 3-point shooting, LeBron James refuses to focus his game excessively on this weapon. Convinced of being capable, the King nevertheless prefers to put pressure on the opposing defense and let his partners punish from afar.
