"It was still LeBron James": Richard Jefferson claims Lakers superstar was a more difficult assignment compared to guarding Kobe Bryant
During his career, Richard Jefferson played against some of the best players in NBA history, most notably Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Jefferson also spent two seasons as James' teammate between 2015 and 2017.
Finding ways to guard elite-level talents such as Bryant and James can't be easy. Essentially, you're looking for ways to contain their scoring rather than trying to stop them completely. During a recent episode of ESPN'S NBA Today, Jefferson revealed that he found guarding James more difficult than containing Kobe Bryant.
"Kobe was going to do what Kobe does," Jefferson said. "He was going to shoot the ball. And it was just, you had to make it tough. If he made them all, he was getting 81, if he missed a couple, he would get you 25. So that, to me, wasn't the hardest person to guard. To me, it was LeBron James; he was bigger, he was more physical...At 22 years old, 23 years old, I was like, 'I don't know what we're going to do with this man,' and they're still trying to answer it."
“Kobe was gonna do what Kobe does. He was gonna shoot the ball… That to me wasn’t the hardest person to guard. It was still LeBron James.”
Richard Jefferson says guarding LeBron was more difficult than guarding Kobe Bryant🔒
Thoughts? 🤔
(via @ESPNNBA)
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In the clip, Jefferson alluded to the difficulties that LeBron's skillset poses. Whereas Bryant was a scorer, LeBron is a triple threat. If you try to shut down his driving lanes, he can beat you with his passing, or his physicality - and more recently, his 3-Point shooting. If you push up on him, he will overpower you. Sag off him, and he will drive right through you.
James is simply too gifted to try and defend in any specific way, instead, players are continually trying new things to disrupt his rhythm.
LeBron James could play until he's 50
Another aspect of LeBron James' game that makes him such an elite player is how he takes care of his body and isn't showing signs of on-court decline, despite being 38 years old.
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM Radio, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said that James could play until he was 50 if he wanted to.
“At this age, what he is doing is unprecedented," Ham said. "Hopefully, he has a few more years to come, but if there is anybody that can do it, he can play until he is probably 50."
"Just the way he takes care of himself, his nutrition, his sleep habits, the regimen, everything he does pre-work, during the work, post-work, his regimen, everything he does to make himself not just available, but elite.”
James is well-known for taking care of his body. The superstar forward has never looked out of shape and continually finds ways to keep himself in tip-top shape year-round. Now, at the tail-end of his career, LeBron is reaping the benefits of his exceptional professionalism and remains one of the most talented players in the NBA.