LeBron James has taken note.
On Thursday, ESPN's Tim Bontemps shared the results of a poll that was made up of a panel of 10 NBA scouts and executives. There were a number of topics including, headlined by who the best player in the NBA is heading into the 2021-22 season.
It turned out to be a tie, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant receiving five votes each.
New ESPN story: Who is the NBA’s best player? What were the best and worst moves of the offseason? Who is going to win the title next season? We posed those questions, and more, to scouts and executives around the league as the offseason winds down: https://t.co/gCxNqcs8NR
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) August 19, 2021
That prompted LeBron to tweet the following:
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 19, 2021
THANK YOU! As if I didn’t need more to⛽️ ME! #Washed👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 19, 2021
LeBron was one of last season's leading MVP candidates prior to suffering an ankle injury that sidelined him for 20 straight games. He returned near the end of the season and led the Lakers over the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In Tournament to earn the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, but the Phoenix Suns handed him the first first-round loss of his career, defeating Los Angeles in six games.
LeBron finished the 2020-21 season averaging 25.0 points, 7.8 assists and 7.7 rebounds on .513/.365/.698 shooting splits. He earned his 17th All-Star selection, as well as his 17th All-NBA selection, extending his lead over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan for the most in NBA history.
Bontemps added that while LeBron didn't receive a vote for best player, he was the "only other name even mentioned by those polled."
Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first championship in 50 years last season with one of the greatest Finals performances in NBA history. Durant's season ended with a second-round loss to the Bucks, but he had a dominant series that included a 49-point, 17-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in Brooklyn's Game 5 win and 48 points in its Game 7 loss.
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