LeBron James is without a doubt one of the greatest players to have ever graced the NBA and continues to show that he can lead his teammates to another ring. Over his 18 years in the league, though, James has had some excellent players alongside him that have earned his trust and helped him in his pursuit of greatness while, in return, he has the ability to put them in a winning position.
Included in the list of LeBron James' best teammates are hall-of-famer and future inductee Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. There is also Kevin Love from his time in Cleveland and Anthony Davis currently, who would push Wade close to being the best player to have played alongside the 36-year-old.
For this article, though, we have decided to focus on the best point guards that LeBron James has played with so far in his NBA career.
While LeBron James has played with some excellent point guards in the NBA, he has often taken up the role himself. Or at least certainly taken his fair share of ball-handling duties, particularly latterly with the LA Lakers. He led the league in assists in the 2019-20 season and has averaged 7.4 dimes per game throughout his career.
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However, as he comes into the twilight years of his time in the league, the Lakers will be seeking to utilize him as somebody that attacks the basket and who can create open shots for himself and others. Therefore, all-round point guard Russell Westbrook has been brought in to form a potentially lethal trio alongside James and Davis and take up the majority of ball-handling duties.
Westbrook may well become the best point guard LeBron James has ever played with in the NBA and Lakers fans can certainly look forward to what is ahead. But for now, let's look back at the best floor generals the four-time MVP has shared the court with.
#5 Mario Chalmers
In a team with three superstars, Mario Chalmers' low-usage but highly effective style of play was perfectly suited alongside LeBron James in Miami. Chalmers was the team's starting point guard throughout James' tenure in South Beach and spearheaded the Heat's swarming defense. He had quick hands and filled up the opposition's passing lanes, grabbing 1.4 steals per game while the two played together.
Although Chalmers was not required to be a high-volume shooter in Miami, he was efficient with his opportunities and could make timely threes. In their back-to-back title-winning seasons, he played in every postseason contest and formed a formidable backcourt partnership with Dwyane Wade.
#4 Dennis Schroder
Despite the messy fallout of the LA Lakers' season and Dennis Schroder's subsequent move to the Boston Celtics, the German was still hugely effective as a point guard alongside LeBron James, albeit the two shared ball-handling duties for the reigning champions this year.
Schroder averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals throughout the 2020-21 campaign but saw his stock plummet after a disappointing postseason. Nevertheless, he was critical to the Lakers when LeBron James was sidelined during the season and did provide an upgrade in terms of offense to Alex Caruso or Rajon Rondo from the year before.
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#3 Rajon Rondo
Although his two campaigns in LA were blighted by injuries, Rajon Rondo was influential in the franchise's playoff run to the NBA championship in 2020. Rondo provided a calmness to proceedings and had the necessary experience to lead the Lakers alongside LeBron James.
Coming towards the end of his career, Rondo proved he still had what it took to be a floor general in a title-chasing side. Coming off the bench in the bubble, Rondo put up 8.9 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in the Lakers postseason and shot at 40% from downtown. Despite playing as a backup point guard, the 34-year-old was still able to produce six double-digit scoring displays, including two in the Finals, and had more than seven assists in seven contests.
He is the most decorated point guard LeBron James has ever played with due to his all-round ability and is someone the Lakers leader would have hoped he could've played with more.
#2 Mo Williams
An underrated teammate of LeBron James was Mo Williams. Point guard at the Cavs in both of James' stints playing in Ohio, the former second-round pick was influential in helping the organization be the best team in the East throughout the 2008-09 and '09-10 seasons. Although they never reached the NBA Finals in this time, Williams averaged 16.8 points and 4.7 assists while shooting above 42.5% from downtown.
Throughout his career Williams was a steady scorer, averaging 13.2 points over 13 seasons and connected with 87% of free-throw attempts. He was brought back to play for the Cavs in their title-winning team and played 54 games as a backup to Kyrie Irving. While he was no longer able to replicate the same level of output as his earlier stint playing with James, Williams deserved his ring and saw it as an appropriate time to hang up his NBA shoes.
#1 Kyrie Irving
Disregarding their off-court issues, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were able to form a dynamic tandem that helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win their first championship in over half a century. Irving was able to control the floor, freeing up James to attack the rim and create space for the Cavs shooters.
In their 2015-16 title-winning season, Irving wasn't even named an All-Star but stepped up when called upon in the playoffs, averaging 25 points per game, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals. It was his shooting that was most critical in helping James win a ring for his hometown franchise, connecting with 44% of threes, 47% of field-goal efforts and the decisive trey against the Golden State Warriors in game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Although they would end up splitting on complicated terms, Irving remains the best point guard James has ever played with and arguably one of the best teammates he's ever had.
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