JJ Redick has become one of the biggest defenders of LeBron James in recent days, giving The King his due respect after several people claimed he’s not feared around the league. First, he called out Stephen A. Smith for saying nobody feared LeBron, before revealing the play that prompted him to be scared of the player.
During a recent edition of his ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast, the retired sharpshooter explained how tough it’s going against LeBron on the court, recalling one time he guarded the 4x NBA champion and finished the play needing stitches.
“If you get into a playoff series with LeBron, you’re certainly fearful of who he is as a player — physically. I took a charge on LeBron my fifth year in Orlando. I caught his spin move perfectly. I ended up with eleven stitches under my eye. And I was standing there knowing he was going to make that spin move. And was I standing there in fear? Abso-f**king-lutely.”
A follow-up from JJ on fearing @KingJames pic.twitter.com/irj8kB52x3
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) November 24, 2021
After getting ejected for the second time in his 19-year career last Sunday and receiving his first suspension following an altercation with Detroit Pistons’ center Isaiah Stewart, plenty of folks started debating whether LeBron James is feared around the league.
It’s not common to see The King exchanging words and going after rivals like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant did, but whenever he enters the court, James is ready to destroy the competition.
Perhaps the fact that he’s not as vocal or aggressive with rivals like MJ or Kobe makes people think he’s soft. Well, that’s not true, according to Redick. Bron is always ready to go with everything he has regardless of the rival.
Things have changed as he aged, and he’s a wiser player now, relying more on his intelligence than his strength. Still, that doesn’t take anything away from the four-time MVP and his desire to win at all cost.
