ANALYSE THIS - Ninth symphonies of the NBA maestros

BASKETBALL - The 2012/2013 NBA basketball season will start today and the early feature match involves the first step of the title defence of the Miami Heat and their star player LeBron James. ‘King James’ is embarking on his 10th professional season and we have compared him with several other dominant players at the same juncture in their careers.

James won only his first championship ring last season. His one title after nine seasons is lagging behind several other stars, but is on a par with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who eventually won five titles. James is averaging 27.6 points per game through his first nine seasons, which is more than several other legends during the same span.

Where they stood after nine seasons of NBA basketball - selected players