LeBron James might be the king after all.
In a new ESPN Sports Poll, LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant as the NBA’s most popular player for the first time since his days in Cleveland.
Nearly 13 percent (12.9) of NBA fans said James was their favorite player this season, allowing him to pass Kobe Bryant (12.5) for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
That was the only other season when James was more popular than Bryant, the top pick by fans for five of six years from 2006-07 to 2011-12.
After “The Decision,” James’ approval rating slipped all the way down to 9%.
Kevin Durant (3.6 percent), Derrick Rose (2.8) and Dwyane Wade (2.6) round out the top five.