Ranking the 15 best performances in the NBA this season

10. LeBron James shows he still has it in Dallas (11/01/20

After suffering the biggest injury of his career and failing to take the Lakers to the playoffs in his debut season, LeBron James faced a significant amount of criticism over the summer.

The disappointing season raised the question of whether or not he was still indeed the best player in the world, a once-tight grip that seemed to loosen given his age and attrition along with the emergence of several superstar contemporaries.

Luka Doncic wasn’t immediately ready to seize that throne from the King, but his inevitable reign was approaching much faster than anyone had expected.

When the two faced off in one of the earliest games of the season, LeBron made sure to establish his dominance in a way that left little doubt about the sizeable gap some thought others had closed in on.

There were 39 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds and four steals. James shot 13-for-23 from the field, 4-of-9 from distance and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line in a nine-point overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

It was the first in a long line of statement games from the #washedking this season to show all he still had left in the tank.

There will come a time when LeBron faces his basketball mortality. It could very well coincide with the undeniable standing Doncic will one day have as one of the faces of the NBA.

Those who thought the former would occur anytime soon would have to wait a bit longer, because somehow, James has continuously managed to ward off all challengers, even if it needs reminding every once in a while.