LeBron James has finally responded to years of accusations about his supposed flopping—and he did it with cold, hard facts.
In a revealing segment on The Pat McAfee Show, LeBron didn’t just brush off the criticism. Instead, he pulled back the curtain on a narrative that has persisted for nearly a decade and flipped it on its head with stats and perspective.
When McAfee joked, “Talk about you flopping all over the place. That’s why people get mad at you,” LeBron chuckled and replied, “I know.”
McAfee drew a comparison to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, noting how Mahomes draws favorable penalties in the NFL due to his stature and ability to manipulate defenders. He asked LeBron if the NBA afforded him the same kind of respect from officials.
“I wish, I wish because I am, like, literally over the last five, six years, while everybody’s been claiming I flop all the time, I’ve been in the bottom half of free throw attempts per game.”
And the numbers back him up.
Since arriving at the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, LeBron’s free throw attempts per game have steadily declined—despite his consistent dominance and interior scoring:
– 2018-19: 7.6 FTA (5th in the league)
– 2019-20: 5.7 FTA (21st in the league)
– 2020-21: 5.7 FTA (25th in the league)
– 2021-22: 6.0 FTA (18th in the league)
– 2022-23: 5.9 FTA (25th in the league)
– 2023-24: 5.7 FTA (22nd in the league)
– 2024-25: 4.7 FTA (38th in the league)
That’s a stark contrast for a player whose game still relies heavily on paint touches. In fact, nearly 47.6% of LeBron’s points this season have come from inside the paint—a testament to his physical style of play. Yet, he’s getting to the line less than ever before.
This season, he is averaging a career-low 4.7 free throw attempts per game, despite averaging 24.7 points, 8.4 assists, and 8.2 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field, and 37.8% from three. That puts him at just 38th in the league in free-throw attempts.
LeBron also shared how his teammates have reacted to his whistle—or lack thereof.
“I have a lot of teammates that be like—they come to the Lakers and they be like—‘Man, when I used to play against you, I thought you got every goddamn call and I hated it.’ And now that I’m your teammate, it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness, you don’t get any calls.’”
“I’m like, ‘Hey, you know, don’t worry about it. Just keep playing.'”
It’s a calm, composed reaction from a player who has heard the criticism for years. While clips of exaggerated reactions or falls get replayed on social media, the numbers paint a very different picture.
LeBron’s ability to stay focused, play through contact, and not let the narrative control his mentality is part of what has allowed him to remain elite deep into his career.
If anything, his explanation dismantled the flopping myth with clarity—and reminded everyone that the King doesn’t need whistles to dominate.
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