"I'm like fine wine; I get better with age" - How LeBron James described his dominance in 2018

Just 48 hours before he put Portland’s Jusuf Nurkic on a poster, LeBron James recorded a 28-point triple-double at home against the Phoenix Suns — prompting the superstar to compare himself to wine.

For 99% of players who have ever played in the NBA, year 10 or 11 is when the decline begins to kick in. But if you’re The King, 15 years in — the climb continues. The Cavs superstar was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season despite his team being engulfed with specs of drama and media backlash since the previous fall. Losing his co-star Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, James channeled another gear in his game. His March 13 performance against Devin Booker’s Suns was just his latest masterpiece.

When asked if his record-breaking 14 triple-doubles this season were due to more possessions and the faster pace of today’s NBA, Bron responded, "Just say I’m like fine wine; I get better with age. More possessions? What are you talking about? I’m getting better with age."

He had every right to feel that way. In 2018, James increased his points, assists, and 3-point percentage — all up from the season before. Had it not been for James Harden’s historic season, No. 23 would’ve run away with the MVP award. Still, he finished second in the voting and in the top 3 for the 10th time in his career.

“I think I was just playing in all three facets and more. I was able to get a charge as well, pick up a couple blocks, couple steals,” LeBron said after snatching his 14th triple-double . It's just being around the court and being reliable to my teammates. For me to be able to clean glass and get my guys good looks where they were able to just catch and shoot or catch and lay it up, it made it a lot easier for me, for sure. With the scoring, I just tried to be aggressive and got to the free throw line tonight and was able to knock those down, too."

2018 LeBron was something else

You might’ve heard fans bantering about the “best” version of James — 2018 is one of those seasons in the discussion. The reason why his 2018 season is remembered in such a light is because of his masterful playoff run.

Without an All-Star by his side, No. 23 dragged Cleveland to a hard-fought first-round series win against the Indiana Pacers. In Game 5, the superstar forward pinned Victor Oladipo’s shot against the backboard and hit a walk-off shot to win the game moments later.

He went on to lead Cleveland to a sweep over the Toronto Raptors in the second round. And in the East Finals against a familiar foe, LeBron registered an iconic 35-point, 15-rebound performance to steal Game 7 in Boston — handing the Celtics their first home loss of the postseason.

Related: Scottie Pippen on how Michael Jordan would have reacted if he left the Bulls: "He would have probably tried to shoot more and score more"

Better than 2013 LeBron?

Many fans argue that James’ 2012-13 season was the best of his career. Putting it all together, that season was one for the ages for the Miami superstar. Winning the MVP award and finishing second in the Defensive Player of The Year voting is enough to get you into most conversations.

To top it off, James became one of the handful of greats to win an NBA title, Finals MVP, and league MVP in the same season. He led the Heat to a whopping 66 wins, including the teams’ 27-game win streak — falling six games short of the record set by the ‘72 Lakers.

Regardless of 2013 or 2018, Bron’s productivity in year 15 may stand the test of time. At 33 years old, the kid from Akron turned in a remarkable season.

Related: "He was on another planet" - Chris Bosh talks about how Lebron James' second year with the Miami Heat was the best version he's ever seen