One of the main criticisms leveled at LeBron James is his perceived lack of a killer instinct. While James is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest players in NBA history, James is not considered to be a killer on the court, someone who can spitefully take the game by the horns and just dominate.
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas talked about why people claim Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson are feared, unlike LeBron James. Arenas explained how Jordan, Kobe, and AI would relish dominating their opponents, whereas James did not. He also made a similar claim about Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“It’s like having assassins. Jordan, Kobe, Iverson. They were the type of guys that maximized pain. What do you fear (most)? You fear suffering… That was Jordan, Kobe, and Iverson. They’re going to bleed you to death. They want you to feel every f*cking piece of this kill. I’m going to score 60, 70. It’s going to be ruthless… That’s what you feared. You feared dying painfully”.
“With LeBron, you’re dying too… There’s no f*cking 7-8 days of pain… Like Jokic, no one is fearing Jokic! Because most of his sh*t is – I’m going to rebound, going throw a little assist, and have 20-something points. No one is afraid of 20-something points. Embiid is more feared than Jokic, but who’s more deadlier? Greek Freak is more feared than Jokic, but who is going to kill you the worst?…”
Arenas clearly has respect for LeBron James and his talent but doesn’t think that he goes out there with the intention of causing pain and humiliation to his opponents. But Arenas was actually on the court for one of James’ best playoff performances, when he dropped 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists against the Wizards.
Arenas Doubts LeBron James’ Impact On The Game
This is far from the only comment Arenas has made on LeBron James. Recently, he also noted that Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Allen Iverson changed the game of basketball, but LeBron James hadn’t. Arenas seem to not hold LeBron James in as high regard as many others do.
James has heard criticism like this about him for a long time and has used it to motivate him each and every year. Going into his 21st NBA season, James could use these words by Arenas to show him and everyone else just how much of a killer he can be on the court.
Last year, LeBron James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals. Given the amount of trash talk coming from the Nuggets, James and the Lakers will want to get their revenge and win the NBA championship next year.
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