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Despite a first-round playoff exit for the LA Lakers, the 2020-21 NBA season proved to be a historic one for alleged GOAT LeBron James. He became the first ever player to go 17 seasons averaging at least 25 points per game, and is now third in the list of the highest scorers in the history of the league.
James has till date scored a total of 35,367 points, and is well on track to become the first NBA player to finish his career with at least 40,000 points. In such a scenario, it is highly surprising that LeBron last won the MVP award way back in 2013 whilst playing for the Miami Heat. He has since changed teams twice and won the championship twice as well, in 2016 with the Cavaliers and in 2019 with the LA Lakers.
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LeBron James’ head-to-head record with NBA MVPs since he won the award in 2013
Since James won the award back in 2013, a total of six NBA players have won the MVP award. This includes the likes of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, with Nikola Jokic becoming the latest to join the club. Former OKC Thunder and Washington Wizards ace Russell Westbrook has also come up against LeBron during the regular season multiple times, with the two set to be teammates for the time being. Regardless, in this article, we look at LeBron James' record against the players who have been NBA MVPs since he last won the award.
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#6 LeBron James vs James Harden (13-11)
James Harden has the best record against LeBron James in regular season games among all recent MVP winners. Harden recently came up against James when he was at the Houston Rockets for a season, with their previous regular season meetings going as far back as 2012, back when Harden was at the OKC Thunder.
Regardless, despite LeBron James posting impressive numbers as always, Harden has been able to hold his own and has won 11 times out of 24, which is the best record amongst the MVP winners of recent years. Regardless, the two will not be coming up against each other during the regular season anytime season as they are in different conferences.
#5 LeBron James vs Stephen Curry (9-7)
LeBron was on the winning side during their latest encounter, and holds a 9-7 advantage over Curry with respect to regular season matches. Curry, a two-time MVP winner, came up against LeBron in some entertaining playoff fixtures but had to wait until his LA Lakers move to play against him in the regular season.
Till date, Curry’s Warriors have played 16 regular-season matches against LeBron James’ Lakers, winning nine and losing seven. Stephen Curry’s overall record is impressive against LeBron when compared to other MVP winners. Regardless, Curry has won more individual honors and was selected as the MVP in 2015 and 2016, winning three championships in four years, and defeating LeBron’s Cavaliers each time.
#4 LeBron James vs Nikola Jokic (9-5)
Since joining the Denver Nuggets as a rookie in 2015, Nikola Jokic has come up against LeBron James 14 times, with all of the matches obviously happening after LeBron moved to the LA Lakers. LeBron inadvertently had more quality on his team and has one of his best overall regular season records against the Denver Nuggets in recent years.
In the 14 games he played against Jokic, LeBron averaged 27.4 points, 9.2 assists and 7.3 rebounds. He has one of the best records against Nikola Jokic compared to NBA MVPs, although the Joker has enough time to tilt the overall matchup in his favor.
#3 LeBron James vs Kevin Durant (15-6)
Kevin Durant has till date been the NBA MVP just once, which happened just a season after LeBron last won the award. Durant produced 32 points and 7.4 assists, the best record for an NBA MVP with respect to points since Michael Jordan produced 35 ppg in 1988.
Since then, Durant and LeBron have come up against each other in 21 regular season encounters, with all of them coming before Durant won the MVP award in 2014. Since LeBron played for the Cavaliers the first time around and Durant played for the OKC Thunder, the two have been in different conferences, with LeBron having a clear edge with an overall 15-6 record. However, considering that the oldest Durant was during a regular-season match against LeBron was 24, the record holds little significance, especially because Durant had his best years playing for the Golden State Warriors, at least championship-wise.
#2 LeBron James vs Giannis Antetokounmpo (16-5)
Giannis, along with Curry, has won back-to-back MVPs since LeBron won his last MVP award. He has been with the Bucks since the start of his career and as a result has come up against strong LeBron James teams over the years. Giannis’ Bucks have been against James’ Cavaliers or the Miami Heat a total of 21 times till date.
LeBron holds a clear advantage with 16 wins and five losses, making his record against Giannis the joint-best that he has with respect to other NBA MVPs. Despite Giannis winning the championship, the two are in different conferences and the overall record therefore should stay in LeBron’s favor for the time being.
#1 LeBron James vs Russell Westbrook (16-5)
Russell Westbrook will also not be playing against LeBron James in the regular season or otherwise anytime soon. However, he will be happy about it considering James’s healthy record against Westbrook’s teams. The two spent three seasons in the same conference, with Westbrook coming up against LeBron’s LA Lakers in the West and Miami Heat along with the Cavaliers in the East.
Westbrook won the 2017 NBA MVP award for the OKC Thunder and have lost 15 games out of 21. LeBron’s form over the years while facing Westbrook has been immense, with the 17-time All-Star going at a strong 28.1 ppg. Overall, LeBron’s record against Westbrook is as good as his record against James, with his numbers marginally better against his new teammate’s former teams.
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