New on SI: LeBron James Is a One Man Dynasty: Unchecked

You can rank NBA players however you want, but LeBron James has had more impact on teams than any other.

You can rank players however you want, but I don’t know how you can say any individual has had more impact on a team than LeBron James, as he is essentially a dynasty by himself.

No team James has ever left was a contender the next season like the Bulls were when Michael Jordan retired to play baseball. I’m just saying. Chicago still won 55 games the next season. When LeBron leaves, the squad he was on goes from the Finals to the Lottery. 

His last year in Cleveland the first time? The Cavs won 61. The next season? 19. As for the encore, Cleveland went from a 50-win team and an NBA Finals appearance without Kyrie Irving, to again winning just 19 the following campaign. 

The Miami falloff was not quite as severe since they had more organizational structure, but the Heat fell from a fourth straight trip to the championship to under .500. And even now, in James' healthy season with Los Angeles, the Lakers are on top of the supposedly mighty West after years of being inept.

In NBA history, six teams have made the Finals four straight times, LeBron was on two of them. And he went to eight straight individually. Only the Boston Celtics of the 60s have matched that feat, when there were just over a handful of teams. 

Sure, LeBron had some help along the way, but even the Warriors had to go get Kevin Durant after what James did to their 73-win squad in 2016.

So, while we’re all enjoying The Last Dance, the eventual LeBron James documentary could very well be titled One Man Dynasty.