With the start of the regular season just around the corner, it’s time for the annual ESPN NBARank, which ranks the league’s top 100 players. Last season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James ranked ninth on the list, and now as he enters his 22nd season, many were excited to see where he would land.

But after another All-NBA selection last season and an even more impressive performance when he led Team USA to a gold medal at the Olympics in France and was named the tournament’s MVP, the Lakers star moved up the ranks on ESPN up the list as LeBron rose from ninth to seventh, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

Why he moved up two spots: The best basketball players in the world descended on Paris this offseason to compete in the Summer Olympics and vie for gold medals and national pride. In the end, James won the third gold medal of his career and was named MVP of the tournament – another victory in his relentless battle against Father Time. Anyone who watched him engineer a second-half comeback against Serbia by guarding Nikola Jokic on one side and attacking the basket on the other was reminded exactly who LeBron is when it counts. And the fact that he posted 25.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists in his 21st season, while becoming the first player in history to surpass 40,000 career points, reaffirmed his status at age 39 Elite level in the game.

Biggest question for 2024-25: Listening to James, there’s nothing left for him to personally add to his resume. “Anything else is extra,” James said at the start of training camp when asked what’s left for him in the NBA. “I love what I do. But no, I don’t have to (achieve more). No. I have everything.” That means James’ biggest question coincides with his biggest remaining priority: What will happen next for him and his son Bronny together on the Lakers? They have already made history as the first father-son duo in NBA history to play on the same team. Now the question is whether 20-year-old Bronny, who LA selected with the No. 55 pick in the draft, can develop quickly enough for the pair to play meaningful minutes together.

Stats to keep an eye on this season: Games played. Last season, James played the most games (71) since joining the Lakers. He missed only a single consecutive game, ending the All-Star break, as he used the time to receive treatment for his left ankle. He was otherwise healthy, a consistent status that has eluded him since signing with LA in 2018, as a series of groin, ankle and foot injuries sidelined him in the final years of his career. For James, who turns 40 in December, playing 70-plus games again will not only give the Lakers the best chance to be competitive, but also keep him as committed as possible as JJ Redick begins his coaching career.

It’s truly amazing that despite all the miles James has put on his body throughout his career, he is still able to perform at such a high level. Coming in at No. 7 in the ESPN NBA Rankings is a spot he more than deserves as he continues to show he belongs among the NBA elite even as he nears the end of his career.

The opportunity to make history alongside his son Bronny James is special, but make no mistake: LeBron remains committed to winning at the highest level and he will come into this season ready to defy logic, what a player of his age is capable of.

Anthony Davis of the Lakers is ranked No. 13 in the ESPN NBA Rank

Not far behind LeBron James on the ESPN NBA rankings was his teammate Anthony Davis, who came in at No. 13 and somehow fell three spots despite having one of the best seasons of his career. The Lakers big man played in 76 games and was named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team selections last year.

The meteoric rises of Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama ultimately set Davis back a few spots, but he enters this season with a stellar run at the Olympics alongside LeBron and is ready to show that last year It was no coincidence and the Lakers are leading the race again.

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