5 players who have successfully guarded LeBron James in the NBA
It's not often you hear of a player successfully locking down LeBron James in the NBA. However, few have successfully achieved this feat against one of the greatest players in world basketball.
The 2021-22 NBA season is almost underway, and some of these players will have the opportunity to prove themselves against King James once again. Although LeBron James is not as athletic as he once was, defending against him is still a tall task.
LeBron James has a myriad of ways he can dominate his opponent, thanks to his varied skill set in his arsenal. While "stopping" him is near impossible, some have successfully slowed him down, especially in crucial games.
The list of players that have successfully guarded LeBron James is relatively short compared to the number of years he has spent in the league. Regardless, these players deserve commendation as they slowed down his utter domination of the league.
That said, here are five players that have successfully guarded LeBron James at one point or the other in the NBA.
#5 Jimmy Butler
The Chicago Bulls had to square off against LeBron James and the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In the absence of Luol Deng, Jimmy Butler was given the nod to contain James, and he did a brilliant job. In the first half, Butler successfully restricted LeBron James to only two points. Although he came back stronger in the second half, the Heat lost Game 1.
Butler has shown that he's a great two-way player as he has also proved himself against LeBron James on the offensive end. In the 2020 NBA Finals, he recorded two triple-doubles, which turned out to be just a delay to the inevitable. The LA Lakers won the tie in six games.
#4 Tony Parker
LeBron James made it to his first NBA Finals in 2007 but was met with a rather rough welcome. The San Antonio Spurs, led by Tony Parker, swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to clinch their third title.
Although LeBron James put up points on the score sheet, Parker took advantage of his inexperience, and James found it hard to make stops against the Spurs guard. James managed only 22 points per game in the series.