"I just don’t see him having the athletic edge that I have seen LeBrons, and Kobes, and Mikes have" - Iman Shumpert believes 3x All-Star cannot be next LeBron James
LeBron James is in the twilight of his career, so some fans are starting to crown Luka Doncic as the next king of the league. However, former NBA player Iman Shumpert believes Doncic does not have what it takes to be the next James.
In an interview with VladTV, Shumpert said that it's not a knock on Doncic but shows how great a player James is. He said:
"I just don't see him having the athletic edge that I have seen LeBrons, and Kobes, and Mikes have. That's usually your breaking point, where it's like you can do some freakishly athletic stuff nobody can do about. I just think after a while, somebody is going to stop the step-back stuff."
Shumpert compared Doncic with one of his former teammates, James Harden. He said that players will eventually find a way to stop Doncic's step back, adding that the Slovenian superstar is going to have a tough time dominating the NBA like LeBron James. He said:
"It's no way I can watch James Harden do that for that long and not win and then look at Luka, like okay, you gonna step back with your right hand, but yours is gonna work. You can prove me wrong, but I don't see the same type of dominance of LeBron coming from Luka."
Shumpert made a pertinent point, with Doncic not having the same size and athleticism as James. However, Doncic has many qualities of a generational talent, which makes him a superstar already. He also performs much better in the postseason than Harden.
Luka Doncic is LeBron James' favorite player
It's no secret that Luka Doncic is LeBron James' favorite current player in the NBA. In a recent Q&A session on Twitter, James was asked which player under the age of 25 is his favorite. He took the name of Doncic:
"LUKA. He's my fav player!!!"
@GeffroiRecabar LUKA. He's my fav player!!
It was not the first time James showed his admiration for the Dallas Mavericks superstar. In April, during an episode of "The Shop," James said that Doncic is one of the few players he wants to play with. Other players on his wishlist include his son, Bronny and Steph Curry.
With just a year left on his contract, James teaming up with Doncic is not impossible. Add the fact that the Mavericks could draft Bronny James a couple of years down the line. Doncic seriously needs some star power help in Dallas if he wants to win the championship.
The Mavericks overachieved this season, reaching the Western Conference Finals with just one superstar and a bunch of role players. However, Doncic is just getting started and could take over the league very soon. He could soon join the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid as the best players in the game.