LeBron James is 40 years old, in his 22nd NBA season, and somehow, he’s not just playing elite defense. He’s playing the best defense of anyone in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. According to advanced metrics, LeBron James has emerged as the most dominant rim protector and versatile defender in the postseason, defying age, logic, and all historical precedent.
Let’s start with the numbers: Among players who have defended at least 20 shots at the rim this postseason,
LeBron leads the league in opponent field goal percentage at just 36.4%.
That’s not just good: it’s miles ahead of elite interior defenders like
Ivica Zubac (37.5%),
Jaren Jackson Jr. (52.4%), and
Myles Turner (60.7%). Even 7-foot shot-blockers like
Kristaps Porzingis (62.5%) and
Chet Holmgren (57.7%) don’t come close to what LeBron is doing defensively at the basket.
That’s not a fluke. That’s defensive mastery.
LeBron also leads the entire postseason in combined steals and blocks, known as "stocks", with 17 in four games. He’s averaging 2.3 blocks per game (4th among all players) and 2.0 steals per game (6th in the playoffs), while taking on assignments ranging from
Julius Randle to
Anthony Edwards to even guards on switches.
This isn’t just help-side fluff or stat-padding. It’s real, high-leverage, impactful defense.