LeBron James has established himself as one of the best players to ever play in the NBA during his 20-year career in the NBA. James has a plethora of skills in his arsenal, but being an elite 1-on-1 player is not one of them.
The likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant used to intimidate opponents in 1-on-1 matchups, but fans have rarely seen that from James. Speaking of which, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas explained in an interview with ‘Vlad TV’ why Larry Bird could defeat James in a 1-on-1 battle.
“The game is different for different players,” Arenas said. “Jordan, and Kobe, they’re 1-on-1 juggernauts. You can’t compare him with LeBron. LeBron is not a 1-on-1 player. He is like Jokic. He is a team guy. He is a 5-on-5 type of player.”
Arenas added: “Larry Bird would probably beat LeBron 1-on-1… Because 1-on-1, it takes away from everything LeBron has right. His physical strength, his speed, and all that power he has going well. In 1-on-1, you are talking about one, two dribbles. That’s not his game. That’s Larry’s whole game.”
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Arenas didn’t downplay what James has achieved in the NBA. He simply believes players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Larry Bird dominated the league with their 1-on-1 game, while LeBron is someone who relies more on getting the entire team going with him. That’s one of the primary reasons why James is considered to be the greatest all-around player rather than the GOAT.
2023 LeBron James Was On The Same Level As Larry Bird
LeBron James entered the 2023 NBA playoffs as a 38-year-old. It was arguably the first time in his career when fans could genuinely spot a decline in his performance throughout the playoffs.
At the time, James averaged 23.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 5.3 APG while shooting 49.1% from the field. On the other hand, Bird’s career averages in the playoffs are 23.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 6.5 APG while shooting 47.2% from the field.
In all fairness, there wasn’t much distinction between the two numbers. It just goes to prove amazing of a player James is. And even if Bird could defeat LeBron in a 1-on-1 game, the King will still be regarded as the better player between the two when it’s all said and done.
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