Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James may be on the short list of all-time athletes, but not everyone is convinced that his defense is what it used to be at this stage of his career. In a segment on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast, former NBA sharpshooter Nick Young broke down why he thinks James’ play on the defensive end is highly overrated.
“[LeBron] ain’t doing nothing but guarding the a**est person on each team. The four-man guarding the a**est person on each team, I’m sorry. Ain’t no four-mans in the league that he got to really worry about now, but AD and AD wasn’t out there, so you don’t have to guard him,” said Young. “He had to guard f**king ‘Naji Mohammed.’ You don’t have to guard [anybody]. It’s true, but it’s good though to be his age… and he don’t need to.”
As a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 21x All-Star, LeBron James’ legacy as one of the best is undeniable, but his best qualities come on the offensive end. With career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game on 50.6% shooting over 22 seasons, he’s an exceptional playmaker, passer, and scorer who can lead his teammates effectively both on and off the court.
Defensively, James was elite in his prime. From 2009 to 2014, he made the NBA’s All-Defensive teams and ranked top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Even later in his career, James was capable of making amazing defensive plays, such as the game-saving block during Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.
To Young’s credit, LeBron has definitely slowed down on defense during these late stages of his career. As a natural progression of aging, James has declined slightly as a defender, and his stamina has depleted, meaning that he needs to preserve more of his energy to carry his team on the other end.
It’s also true that James is no longer taking the toughest matchups every night. At 40 years old, LeBron’s days of chasing elite guards and wings are over. He’ll accept the assignment if needed, but both James and the Lakers prefer to give him easier matchups to avoid the risk of injury or fatigue.
Still, LeBron holds his own on defense, and while his body may be losing ground, his mind is as sharp as ever. More than most, LeBron knows how to outsmart his opponents, and he knows how to pick his battles on the court. Even now, LeBron finds ways to avoid being a liability on defense, and it’s enough for him to keep his place as one of the best players in the game.
