The so-called leadership ability is the ability to lead a team to victory, win more games, and earn more championships.
Top-tier stars excel in leadership ability.
In contrast, some stars have excellent personal stats, but their team's performance is abysmal, to the point where making it to the playoffs becomes a luxury, and these players are often labeled as "stat padders."
While their offensive skills might be impressive, their leadership ability is lacking, thus they are considered unfit to be team leaders.
The following five players are typical examples.
During his peak, his offensive ability was extremely strong, even holding his own against Kobe.
He created miracles like the 35-second 13-point game, won the scoring title twice, and has long been one of the best scorers in the league.
However, his leadership ability was quite poor, especially during his time with the Magic, where victories seemed exceptionally difficult to come by, even suffering a dismal 19-game losing streak, making him one of the worst-scoring champions in history.
He never made it past the second round of the playoffs, despite consistently high scoring, the team frequently faced defeats.
Therefore, despite his impressive achievements, doubts have been raised about his status as a superstar.
Towns' talent is also quite formidable, with his offensive stats consistently at a 20+ level, especially unique in his three-point shooting, making him one of the top centers.
However, under Towns' leadership, the Timberwolves were mocked as a team akin to Huskies, perennially at the bottom of the rankings, without a chance of making the playoffs.
Without the addition of Huazi [possibly referring to Karl-Anthony Towns' nickname], the Timberwolves would likely still be one of the league's weakest teams, suggesting that Towns is better suited as a secondary player and there is a significant gap in his leadership abilities.
Irving's talent is undoubtedly remarkable, with unmatched ambidextrous offensive skills and excellent mental toughness, particularly shining in crucial moments.
He is an absolute assassin on the offensive end, with his scoring ability ranking among the top in point guard history.
However, apart from offense, Irving's performance in other aspects is average. During his time with the Cavaliers, he even continuously helped the team secure lottery picks, indicating how poor his leadership ability is.
Only when he plays as a second fiddle can he unleash his full potential, and it might take less than five years for his team to realize the dream of winning a championship under his leadership.
Anthony is recognized as an offensive genius, especially during his early days, forming the "Three Threats" at a master level.
If not for the difficulties encountered with the Thunder and Rockets, he would have achieved the 30,000-point milestone long ago.
During his peak, he was one of the top scorers in the league, but his leadership ability has always been poor, with the team perennially failing to reach the playoffs. Without the addition of B. Lu, it would be very difficult for him alone to lead the team to the Western Conference Finals.
Lastly, there's Davis. During his time with the Pelicans, he was the absolute core, with impressive stats, consistently maintaining a 20-point, 10-rebound level.
However, his scoring often came in "empty" fashion, while the team consistently lost, making him a leading member of the "empty scoring" group.
Without encountering James, Davis would definitely not have won a championship, and he would only be able to comfortably play as a stat-padder for the Pelicans.
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