Who was better between Luka Doncic vs LeBron James at 25 years old? After the Dallas Mavericks are poised to reach the NBA Finals, fans have been debating over the idea that Luka is actually the better basketball player than LeBron when they were the same age.
They told me I was crazy for saying Luka was better than LeBron @ Age 22.
Age 25 it’s not even close.
— 🪂. (@HollywoodShayne) May 29, 2024
The Comparison: Luka Doncic vs LeBron James at 25 years old
Let’s take a look at how successful were Luka Doncic and LeBron James by the time they were 25 years old. Take note that all of these accolades, awards, and recognitions are only from the NBA, Olympics, and FIBA.
Accolades
LeBron James
- 2-time MVP (2009, 2010)
- 6-time NBA All-Star (2006–2010)
- 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
- 4-time All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2010)
- 2-time All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
- 2-time All-Defensive First Team (2009, 2010)
- 1-time NBA Scoring Champion (2008)
- Rookie of The Year (2004)
- 1-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2008)
- Brought the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals at 22 years old with no All-Star teammate
- Averages by age 25: 27.8 PPG, 7 RPG, and 7 APG.
Luka Doncic
- 5-time NBA All-Star (2020–2024)
- 5-time All-NBA First Team (2020–2024)
- Rookie of the Year (2019)
- NBA Scoring Champion (2024)
- FIBA World Cup Top Scorer (2023)
- All-FIBA World Cup Team (2023)
- Olympics All-Star Team (2020)
- Averages by age 25: 28.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 8.3 APG
Playoff Success
LeBron James
- LBJ missed the playoffs in his first two seasons but then quickly made the Cavaliers a contending team in the East in his third year. In the 2006 playoffs, LeBron brought the Cavs to the second round, but got bounced by the Detroit Pistons.
- The following year, 22-year-old LeBron was once again on a tear after ending the 2006–2007 season with 50 wins. They were able to get revenge from the Pistons as James and Cleveland beat Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals, 4-2, en route to his first-ever NBA Finals appearance. Sadly, they got swept by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and the San Antonio Spurs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ5AFLXzBFs
- In the 2008 playoffs, LeBron ran into the big three of the Boston Celtics (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen). Despite his efforts, they weren’t able to get past the semifinals.
- The Cavaliers were able to reach the Conference Finals again but lost to Dwight Howard’s Orland Magic.
- In 2010, Cleveland was the top seed in the East but got knocked out by the Celtics again in the second round.
- At the age of 25, LeBron has been to the NBA Finals and two (2) Conference Finals.
Luka Doncic
- Luka got his first playoff experience in the bubble (2020), but his exceptional talents weren’t enough for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s Clippers. The Mavericks made an early first-round exit.
- The following year, in the 2021 playoffs, Dallas got bounced in the first round again by the same team.
- In 2022, Dallas surprised the Phoenix Suns in the second round as they managed to reach the Conference Finals again. It’s the first time for the Mavericks since 2011. Luka destroyed Devin Booker and the Suns during this series, and the infamous Luka Doncic meme was born. They would still lose to the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors.
- After a deep playoff run, Luka Doncic and his new teammate, Kyrie Irving, missed the 2023 playoffs due to injuries. Luka was already having a great season, but it wasn’t enough for them to even quality in the play-in tournament.
- Meanwhile, in the 2024 playoffs, the 5th-seeded Mavericks are now back in the Conference Finals and are just one win away from reaching the Finals again after 13 years.
Best Teammates
LeBron James
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas
- Mo Williams
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Larry Hughes
- Carlos Boozer
Fans could argue that LeBron carried the Cleveland Cavaliers on his back from 2003 to 2010. Although he’s had multiple All-Star teammates, you could say he still didn’t have enough help at the time. Yes, he was teammates with Shaquille O’Neal at one point, but that was already a washed Shaq. His best teammate by 25 years old is probably big Z, Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Casual fans probably don’t remember him, but the Lithuanian big man was actually a reliable center.
Luka Doncic
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Kyrie Irving
- Jalen Brunson
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Kemba Walker
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Christian Wood
- Spencer Dinwiddie
In six seasons, Luka Doncic has had the opportunity to be paired alongside some of the best players in the league. There were some failed projects here and then, like Kristaps Porzingis and Christian Wood, and then there’s Jalen Brunson, a player that the Mavericks fumbled. Thankfully, Luka is now able to co-exist with another superstar, Kyrie Irving, as they make a deep playoff run for Dallas.
The Competition
LeBron James
LeBron had a tough time in the East, especially against the Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic, and the team that probably forced him to join forces with Dwyane Wade in Miami, the Boston Celtics.
The 2000s were a tough era for basketball, and we can’t deny that the NBA competition back then was intense. And that’s not all. The West was packed with superstars like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and more, which made it even harder for The King to win even one championship.
Luka Doncic
It’s almost impossible for Luka to win it all, but so far, he and the Mavericks are defying all odds, even with a bad knee. As a rookie, Doncic was already touted as the next LeBron and the next face of the NBA. However, he is in the Western Conference, and he’s going to have to get past teams like Oklahoma, Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Denver to punch a ticket to the Finals every year.
Overall, it’s closer than people think
Talent-wise, both Luka and LeBron are definitely on the same tier. They share the same basketball IQ, scoring and playmaking abilities, as well as the overall game. Both also had some great playoff success before reaching 25 years old. At this rate, Luka may also reach the NBA Finals, just like LBJ did when he was just 22.
However, LeBron James was already an athletic freak, even as a rookie. He spent a couple of years in the NBA, and he already looked like the best player in the league. His two MVP awards at just the age of 25 speak a lot.
If a 25-year-old James goes head-to-head against a 25-year-old Luka, the former would win 100%. He was a different beast back then, especially when he played defense. It was a different era, but it’s obvious that LeBron was and will always be the superior athlete.
