Of course, he isn’t the same player that he once was, but James has found other ways to contribute to the team winning games. He has defied thought in how he is performing, and it’s been simply incredible to watch play out.

One former rival of James recently gave his thoughts on how he has performed, and he believes that James will remain the face of the NBA until he hangs it up. Kendrick Perkins of ESPN broke down why he thinks this.

Nobody has been able to surpass James as the face of the league in the 21 years that he has been in the NBA. There have been times, even right now, when James isn’t considered the best player, but he is the face of the league.

He is the biggest show that the game has to offer, and whenever he is playing people will be tuning in. Adding onto the fact that he is a member of the Lakers helps things as well for both parties.

James has flirted with retirement recently, and we could be watching the final few seasons of his career. So, people should start to appreciate the greatness that is James rather than criticizing him for anything they can get their hands on.

He has taken all of the criticism and risen above it for years, something that likely hasn’t been easy to do. James is unlike any player that we have ever seen, and the hope is that he can continue to play at a high level for a few more years.