Stephen Jackson doesn't believe LeBron is a top-five player in NBA

Stephen Jackson in June 2020. Jack Gruber via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Stephen Jackson doesn't believe LeBron James is a top-five player in the NBA

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Jan 28, 2023 7:54 PM ET

Former NBA veteran Stephen Jackson has some interesting opinions on who is and isn't worthy of being called one of the top players in today's game.

Appearing on the "I Am Athlete " podcast this week, Jackson put together his list of the current top five players in the league. Jackson's top five consisted of, in order, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid. While Jackson's list includes five of the best in the NBA, it has one glaring omission in the great LeBron James.

Stephen Jackson doesn't have LeBron James in his current Top 5:⁣
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"But right now in the league, he is not the Top 5 best player in the league right now." ⁣
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Do you agree? ⁣
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Watch the full conversation & subscribe → https://t.co/vMYhLpQK0v pic.twitter.com/p2sYBVRUkM
— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) January 28, 2023

As the podcast's ensemble picked their jaws up off the floor, Jackson explained that younger talent had overtaken James.

"He's in my top three of all time," Jackson said. "But, right now in the league, he's not a top-five player."

On the surface, leaving James out sounds ludicrous, but Jackson's take isn't as hot as it seems.

Even at 39, James is still doing remarkable things on the court. But, over 39 games, James' numbers don't rank among the top five in any significant offensive category. James is averaging 29.9 points per game, good enough for seventh in the NBA. However, James' 7.0 assists (13th), 8.5 rebounds (28th), and 50.7 field goal percentage (39th) don't even crack the top 10 in the league.

James wasn't the only marquee name left off Jackson's list. Denver Nuggets two-time MVP Nikola Jokic also found himself outside Jackson's top five. While some might argue that leaving Jokic outside the top five is more egregious than James's snub, Jackson initially included him at No. 4 before swapping him out for Tatum.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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