LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Year 21 has been nothing but impressive for Los Angeles Lakers All-Star foreard LeBron James, but arguably the most surprising stat is how efficient he has been from three-point range. 

For the first time since his historically elite 2012-2013 campaign, James is shooting over 40% from behind the arc, representing over a 6% increase from last season. Aside from this adding value for LA this season, it'll also help James extend his career even further — having this reliable a jump shot will keep him as valuable as he can be. 

ESPN put out a metric that was frankly shocking, highlighting how Golden State Warriors All-Star point guard Stephen Curry is shooting just 0.2% better from behind the arc this season than James.

Obviously, this stat is fairly misleading, as Curry is on 12 attempts per game and takes higher degree of difficulty shots, much of the time over bigger defenders. With that being said, it's impressive regardless that James has stayed above the 40% mark this late in the season given his size and typical playing style.

If he continues being a flamethrower from deep (9-of-17 in his last 2 games), for the forseeable future, it'll be a necessary boost for an LA team that, while 9-3 in the month of February, needs a big spark to truly compete with the best of the West come April.