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What do Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Amare Stoudemire all have in common?

They are the NBA's elite scorers for the 2007-08 season, but they share more than just eye-popping numbers: they have combined a scorer's mindset with incredible all-around athletic ability, two requirements necessary for becoming the league's best at putting the ball in the basket.

A look at the top scorers clearly indicates that these players like to shoot: Lebron James (22 shots per game, 49% shooting), Kobe Bryant (21 shots per game, 46% shooting), Allen Iverson (19 shots per game, 46% shooting), Carmelo Anthony (19 shots per game, 49% shooting), and Amare Stoudemire (15 shots per game, 59% shooting) all took their fair share of shots during the 07-08 season. With the exception of Stoudemire (5th in the NBA in shooting percentage), all of these players missed more shots than they made.

From a purely statistical perspective, cynics argue that their scoring is in direct proportion to their shots attempted, prompting the unfounded cry of "ball hog!" Not only is the ball hog argument contradicted by common sense observation, a further statistical breakdown demonstrates these 5 players excel athletically in all aspects of the game, not just scoring.

Any fan of the game who has observed the NBA's scoring leaders in action understands these players were called upon to take their team's most difficult shots at the most difficult times: shot clock running down, get the ball to Kobe; game on the line, go to Lebron; nobody's hitting from the outside, feed Amare in the post. Whether double-teamed or triple-teamed, James, Bryant, Iverson, Anthony, and Stoudemire managed to give their teams an offensive boost at the most critical times. In addition, their willingness to take the ball into traffic got them to the free throw line more consistently than most, adding to their point total, but not to their field goal percentage.

If scoring were the only thing these phenomenal athletes could do then I would partly concede to the cynics' cry, but all 5 of these players excelled in other aspects of the game as well. Because of their uncanny ability to score and their knack for drawing multiple defenders, they were able to create open shots for their teammates: Lebron James led all non-guards in assists, placing 8th overall in the league; Allen Iverson finished right behind him at 9th; Kobe Bryant finished 19th; Carmelo Anthony landed in the top 50; and Amare Stoudemire was in the top ten among NBA centers.

In addition to creating offensive opportunities for themselves and their teammates by deft ball-handling, slick passing, and acrobatic shooting, these 5 also created scoring opportunities on the defensive end. Iverson (3rd), Bryant (9th), James (10th), and Anthony (27th) were among the league leaders in steals, thus facilitating easy transition baskets. In addition to their knack for creating points off turnovers, James, Bryant, and Stoudemire boosted their worth by rebounding. James led all NBA small forwards in rebounds per game; Bryant was second among 2 guards; and Stoudemire was in the league's top ten overall.

More than just ball hogs, James, Bryant, Iverson, Anthony, and Stoudemire combined a scoring mentality with all-around athleticism to dominate and outscore the rest of the league.

Learn more about this author, Trent Lorcher.
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