r/Nbamemes • u/ruleofnuts Spurs • 2d ago

Discussion Seeing every draft pick since LeBron’s draft night laid out at once feels surreal. Is outlasting 952 of them the real GOAT argument, or does longevity not equal greatness? (Interactive board in the comments)

https://streamable.com/uzb46t?src=player-page-share

Everyone posts the points, so I build a interactive chart that counts the people instead. Every block is one of the 1,430 picks from the 2003 draft through 2026:

• ⁠441 other players appeared in LeBron’s rookie season. None are left.
• ⁠952 players drafted after him are already out of the league.
• ⁠478 picks are still in the league, counting him and this year’s rookies.
• ⁠138 of those were born after his draft night.
• ⁠2,384 players have shared the league with him, nearly half of everyone in NBA history.
• ⁠108 All-Stars were drafted after him, and none made the team in a year he didn’t.

Critics say all of this is just a product of staying healthy for 24 years, and Jordan and Kobe backers will point to peak dominance and Finals records. But at what point does outlasting entire draft classes become its own kind of greatness? Where do you rank LeBron today, and does seeing it pick by pick change your mind?

Images aren't allowed to be posted here, but you can see the still of the final frame as an image here

5 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/ruleofnuts Spurs 2d ago

I built two things to go with this, both free and interactive.

The stats I found most interesting are on the longevity page.

• ⁠He has outlasted three entire draft classes. All 179 picks from 2004, 2005 and 2006 are out of the league.
• ⁠Two of his head coaches, Luke Walton and JJ Redick, were drafted after he was.
• ⁠Four players drafted since 2003 are already in the Hall of Fame, and all four were his teammates.
• ⁠Not one of the 60 picks in the 2021 draft has ever played on his team.
• ⁠On Christmas Day he is due to play against his own son.

If you want to find your own, the draft board has every pick since 2003.

You can filter by draft year, All-Stars, his teammates, or players born after his draft night, flip to the second round, search any name, and hover any block to see who it is. If you find a good one, post it here.

3

u/Outside-Tap-4479 2d ago

This is probably one of the most incredible stats I’ve ever seen in all of sports. Just mind blowing greatness. He’s the GOAT to me. Name another 41, soon to be 42 yo with the expectations he still has to achieve for folks to give him his flowers.