LeBron James Reveals Most ‘Dominant’ Player He’s Faced In Career
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has played against a ton of great players in his 23-season long career, but one of those players stands above the rest in the eyes of King James.
During a new episode of the Mind the Game podcast that LeBron hosts with NBA legend Steve Nash, LeBron asserted that Denver Nuggets three-time MVP Nikola Jokić is the most dominant player he’s ever played against.
“There has not been a more dominant, complete player that I’ve played against,” James told Nash.
“From the passing, to the shooting, to the rebounding … there’s nothing he cannot do … you try to double him, he’s gonna make you pay. You try to play him single coverage, he’s gonna make you pay. Sometimes he even brings the ball up to floor … (the) point guard will rebound the ball and outlet it to their center to push the break.”
Jokić is having a ridiculous 2025-26 season so far, powering the Denver Nuggets to a 13-4 record and averaging 29.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 11.1 assists. He kicked off the year with four straight triple-doubles, then notched 14 more, including a 17-point, 16-assist masterpiece against the Grizzlies on November 24.
Recent gems include 44 points and 13 boards in a November 22 loss to Sacramento, a near-triple-double 34-10-9 in a 112-109 thriller over Houston on November 21, and a 27-12-11 in a rout of Minnesota on November 15. Named Western Conference Player of the Week on November 17, Jokić’s efficiency (62.6 percent from the field, 43.4 percent from deep) fuels MVP chatter amid a crowded race with SGA and Giannis.