There are two key factors here that haven’t been discussed enough:

1) Offensive Fouls – What are the total number of offensive fouls called on Lebron? As I watch games, and I’m a basketball nut/lifer, unfair treatment for Lebron mostly occurs here. For the number of FTs he gets per game, he most definitely should get called for more offensive fouls. Not just because there is a set FT/offensive foul ratio (I’m sure Durant get’s a ton of FTs without Off fouls), but more given Lebron’s skill set and how he is defended. Lebron’s main offensive weapon is attacking with power and he does everything from bump set defenders to dropping his shoulder. I do think he has great body control for someone his size and does avoid a good number of fouls … but not as often as the refs seem to think so. Also, what’s worse, is that there are many “50/50″ charge/block scenarios where Lebron will go to the line even though he created all the contact. Other guards (CP3, Nash, Wade) do this as well, however, but Lebron is more power than these guys.

2) Lebron’s OLYMPIC stats! – Nobody has mentioned that Lebron averaged 2.0 fouls per game in less that 25 minutes per game of international play!! And keep in mind, many of those games were against EXTREMELY inferior athletic talent. And, remember, Kobe defended like a ball hawk throughout the entire tournament and played more minutes in the later meaningful games against the better teams … and had only 3 more fouls in similar minutes. More importantly, why was Lebron’s foul rate per minute almost double his NBA foul rate??

I know there are a few generic retorts here … 1) NBA rules different along with court size, 2) Cavs allow him to roam and olympic team didn’t, 3)He played a different position at times on that team, 4) Zone defenses in particular made it harder for him …. etc, etc … but before you start going off on those retorts, do they really overcome 1) DOUBLE the foul rate, 2) Much weaker talent on opposition, much more talent on his own team 3) Most importantly, he attacked the rim much less and drew way fewer FT attempts (3 per game) … meaning he wasn’t even putting himself in position to get offensive fouls as often.

Finally, for those that try to objectively watch the games … Lebron was a totally different player when reffed by international rules. Granted, the zone rules and court size do affect him negatively to some degree … but the international refs treated him like everyone else and he was consistently frustrated by it.

Even worse, the video clearly shows Sessions fouling James! I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the rules of basketball, but just “getting a hand on the ball” doesn’t clear a defensive player of all fouling done before the ball is touched. In fact, watching it frame by frame (look around 0:24) shows Session committing a blocking foul and reaching foul SIMULTANEOUSLY!! Sessions is moving his feet to put his body directly in front of a driving James while reaching across James’ body, hitting James’ arms and chest. Anyone who has played organized b-ball past the age of 12 knows, reaching in will almost always get you called for a foul, regardless of whether you touch the ball or not, especially when you reach across the ball handler the way Sessions did.

Zeke, you must also be playing on the same “Jump-to-conclusions” mat as Zach. No one here has said Lebron James’ talent overshadows that of Michael Jordan, just like no one thinks a low foul count can be attributed to only one of Zach’s four options. We’re simply giving reasons of why James has such a low FPG average that are better than “the refs are cheating”.

Furthermore, as I and others have stated, Zach’s use of statistics was either incompetent or outright dishonest. Zach use of this chi-squared test doesn’t suggest that James’ ability to avoid fouls is ludicrous. It suggests that Zach’s understanding of a chi-squared test is ludicrous. I believe Zach realized this and is the reason he shied away from defending his number in either one of his retorts.

2nd point. You guys may have valid points about the way Lebron plays defense is different than the way other players play defense, hence his foul counts are different. But how many games of other players do you watch? How do you know they don’t do the same things you claim Lebron does to diminish the fouls?

3rd point. Despite all your claims about defensive differences and how Lebron doesn’t get preferential treatment, the brain forgets alot over a long season. Hell, the brain forgets alot over a game. Statistics allows us to take a large amount of data and make inferences. Yes it is possible Lebron James has a special talent at avoiding fouls. The statistics suggest that to be ludicrous. So while you as fans can say that doesn’t jive with my memory, you would be wrong.

(There might be more SFs at sucha low foul level; I only looked at the teams in Lebron’s division, and found that 2 of the 4 SFs had similar lifetime foul averages).