What Makes LeBron James Stand Out? Lakers Assistant Coach Reveals Reason

New Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is regarded by many as the best player in the league right now and is one of the contenders for the greatest of all time accolade.

But what makes him such a great player? There are many reasons why James currently reigns supreme in the NBA. For one, there's his 6 feet 8 inch, 250-pound frame that allows him to impose his will on other players.

In fact, LaVar Ball believes that's the reason why he is currently the best player in the league, citing how the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal were the best because they were the biggest and strongest.

"LeBron James is the best on the fact he's stronger than everybody," Ball recently said. "It's whoever is the biggest and strongest at that time. Like Wilt Chamberlain, he was stronger and faster than everybody. Shaquille O'Neal, same thing."

However, there were many great players who weren't the biggest, the prime example being Michael Jordan.

James also has his athleticism while his constant ability to make clutch plays was seen throughout the recent postseason. Or is the 33-year-old great simply because he is continuing to perform at a high level despite having played in his 15th season?

James impressively averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, with many believing he should have been named MVP last season.

However, Lakers assistant coach Jesse Mermuys believes what really makes the Akron native stand out is the fact that he not only always makes the right plays, but he also makes the right easy plays given the situation.

"The thing I always get back to with great players that I learned under coach [George] Karl when I first got into the NBA was that the greatest players do make amazing plays, but what makes them great is they make the easy, right play eight or nine times out of 10," Mermuys said when asked what stands out about James. "When you watch LeBron on film, and especially when you’re dissecting him, how he makes the right play all the time is just so incredible."

"And they could be just easy chest passes to the next guy, but at that time, where the defense was, time and score, flow of the game, all that … it was the right play. And you see that from him time and time again. I think that goes unnoticed, because what you really remember is the dunk or the chase down block."

Mermuys added in addition to the right easy plays, eight out of 10 of them help his teammates become better and lead the team to win. And for that reason, the 37-year-old is even more excited for the upcoming season and how the young core of Lakers players such as Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram fare alongside James.

"Those things are incredible, but from a coaching standpoint, what’s even more impressive than that is the eight right easy plays he makes out of the last 10 possessions to make his teammates better and to help his team win," Mermuys explained. "From that standpoint, making those types of plays for guys who are competitors, hungry, talented that want to get better and want to win, that have a hunger to try and get to the top of the mountain in the NBA, which we have, that’s exciting."