LeBron James is a sensational player. He will go down as the second-best player of all time for most fans, if not the GOAT.
But there is still a narrative around James that players do not fear him. Former NBA player Mario Chalmers recently made headlines for saying this out loud. Now, Gilbert Arenas has also chimed into the debate and explained in detail why that’s the case.
“You can’t use that as a negative against LeBron, you know everyone feared Jordan and that’s why he’s better than LeBron,” Arenas said. “Did anyone fear Magic Johnson? No. Did anyone fear John Stockton or Karl Malone? No. The fear comes from what that person’s capability is as an offensive player. The capability of what Jordan’s gonna do if you are not on point. That’s where the fear came in at. So Michael Jordan was feared. Allen Iverson was feared. Kobe was feared. Guys who have the ability to score 30 to damn 70 points, they’re feared.”
Arenas continued to talk about LeBron and how he is more of an all-around player instead of a player who is a beast on the offensive end of the floor.
“LeBron James was an all-around player. Even though he gave you 40, it wasn’t the same 40 vs. someone like Iverson, Kobe, or Michael Jordan,” Arenas added. “You didn’t fear the capability of what he was going to do. You did that with Jordan, Kobe, and Allen Iverson. You feared what they were capable of doing. That’s where fear comes from. I’m not afraid of a guy who’s gonna give me 29/9/9, I’m afraid of a man who’s gonna go for 60 if I’m not careful.”
"LeBron was an all-around player. Even though he gave you 40, it wasn't the same 40 vs someone like an Iverson, Kobe or Michael Jordan. You didn't fear the capability of what he was going to do."
Gilbert Arenas' hot take on "fear"
Via @GilsArena pic.twitter.com/hWZ5qSaAyI
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 22, 2023
As Arenas explained, LeBron James has always been an all-around player in the NBA. When he’s on the court, he can score, rebound, or assist at an elite level. But James never focuses too much on just the scoring aspect of the game.
If LeBron was more of a lethal scorer than an all-around player, then James may have been feared by his fellow NBA players.
LeBron James Has Instilled Fear Into Several NBA Coaches
Mario Chalmers’ recent claims about NBA players not being afraid of LeBron James were met with mixed reactions from fans.
So much so that one NBA fan went ahead and made a compilation of NBA head coaches, such as Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, and more, speaking about the fear which James instilled in them.
At the end of the day, LeBron will always remain one of the best players to ever play in the league. But the general consensus around him will never be someone who was feared by his fellow NBA players.
The likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and other vicious scorers will forever uphold that title over the King.
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