"Old-school players wouldn’t have any trouble with LeBron" - Infamous NBA bust disses LeBron James' undeveloped two-dimensional game
Despite only winning one scoring title in his NBA career, LeBron James managed to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He continues to play at a high level even at age 39, but one former No. 1 pick did not hold back in criticizing the 20-time All-Star.
During an interview with "Swish Cultures" in August, Kwame Brown shared his thoughts on James. He took a jab at the superstar forward for never fully rounding out his offensive arsenal.
"Old-school players wouldn’t have any trouble with LeBron," Brown said. "Because at 39, he should have developed a mid-range and a post-game and he still hasn’t yet. He still has the athletic ability to just go 94 feet — which, I don’t know how, but he still has it."
LeBron James is coming off another season averaging 25+ points per game. In 71 games with the LA Lakers, he posted 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists. James might not have much of a mid-range game, but he's drastically improved as an outside shooter. He is fresh off his best outside shooting season, where he knocked down 41% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Brown is widely regarded among NBA fans and analysts as one of the biggest busts in league history. He managed to hang around the league for 12 years but never lived up to the hype of being the top pick of the 2001 draft.
Austin Reaves feels LeBron James is reason why critics downplay NBA Bubble championship
Throughout his career, LeBron James has won the NBA title on four occasions. However, one of them is heavily downplayed by critics.
The last time James hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy was in 2020 when the LA Lakers took down the Miami Heat. That postseason was different than any other, as it was played in the Bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because all games were played in empty gyms on a neutral site, some have claimed it was easier to win than a normal season.
During an interview with "BustaJack Golf" on Thursday, Lakers guard Austin Reaves was asked about the stigma of the Bubble title. He thinks people only feel that way because it was LeBron James who won in those conditions.
"[26:20] I don't want to say it was the hardest, everybody had an equal playing field," Reaves said. "I think it's the same as every other year. I just think if Bron doesn't win it, nobody says anything. Everybody hates Bron. Actually, everybody loves LeBron, but he gets so much hate."
James elevated his game for the Lakers that entire playoff run, as he averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists. After winning the title, the star forward also took home finals MVP honors.