Singular force

There are no yeah-buts at the offensive end. LeBron's offensive instincts are pure unselfish. Like so many virtuosos we've known, he would have been better off if basketball had become a four-on-four or three-on-three game, rather than five-on-five. (A conspicuous exception: Bird, who would have been a great seven-on-seven or nine-on-nine player.) Then he could simply take over a higher percentage of the time.

But LeBron understands that it's a five-man game, a team game, and he knows how vital it is to have the other four feel sufficiently involved. The only time people criticize him is when they think he passes when he should have shot.