"The mothef***r just took off": $10,000,000 ex-NBA star provides eyewitness account of LeBron James vs Michael Jordan pickup game
Former NBA star Tim Hardaway Sr. was among those who participated in LeBron James's pickup game with Michael Jordan and a few other players when the Lakers star was a 16-year-old. Hardaway appeared as a guest on Wednesday's episode of "The Draymond Green Show" and discussed what went down during the game.
James claimed during an appearance on the podcast "New Heights" that he was unguardable at the time. He mentioned a few stars other than Jordan, like Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest), Penny Hardaway, and Antoine Walker, who were present in the game.
Hardaway Sr. - worth $10 million per Celebrity Net Worth - also claimed to be one of the players at the game.
"I was there," Hardaway said.
He also seconded James' claims of being unguardable.
"Yes. We wanted to see what he had and what he could do. He didn't do it all the time," Hardaway added. "'Cause he had broken his wrist, it was like a week after he took the cast off. He came in, he was playing. He came down the fastbreak and we thought he was goin' to pass, the motherf****r took off from the free throw line. He missed, but the motherf****r just went *doof* just like that... it was like in slow motion the motherf****r just took off.
"He was making shots, playing defense, passing the ball. You could feel his presence... You knew that he was going to be that motherf****r in the NBA."
After telling the story, Hardaway Sr. doubled down and said he kept his story honest.
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Former Lakers star claimed that LeBron James showed signs of brilliance during his pickup game against Jordan
Hardaway Sr. wasn't the only player to back up LeBron James' claims. Last year, World Peace was a guest on the "Podcast P with Paul George" show, where he talked about his early encounter with LeBron James. The former Lakers forward was among the players James mentioned being present in the game.
According to the one-time champion, James was unstoppable, even against NBA talent. Because of his 6-foot-9 frame, he was bigger than most players. World Peace claimed the four-time MVP would post up and force his way inside.
The ex-NBA star said his encounter with the high schooler motivated him to improve. (World Peace's story about James starts at the 8:18 mark of the episode.)
LeBron James showed signs of brilliance on the court early in his basketball career. Even now, at 40, he is still among the top talents in the league.
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