Top 5 times LeBron James feuded with another NBA player (on and off-court)
LeBron James is easily recognized as one of the greatest NBA players ever, perhaps the greatest. He is also one of the most respected players by his peers, or at least that is how it looks on the NBA court.
James is also a calm and collected player on the court towards his rivals, even though the opposition often plays him with a much-needed physicality to try and stop him.
'The King' seems to be an easy-going person, but like anyone, he's had to show character many times, maybe even get involved in scuffles with other NBA players, on or off the court.
In this article, we will do a little review of LeBron James' feuds with other NBA players throughout his glorious 18-year career.
Without further ado, let us start.
#5 LeBron James vs JR Smith
LeBron James had one of his greatest performances in the NBA Finals in Game 1 of the 2018 series against Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors. It was the fourth consecutive time the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors met in the NBA Finals, but the Cavs were definitely against too tall of a task, especially after Kyrie Irving left before that season.
James scored 51 points in Game 1 and gave the Cavs a chance to steal the first game on the road. With the Cavs down by one point, a great pass from James to George Hill forced Golden State to foul Hill, and he went to the line looking to give a one-point lead to Cleveland.
However, Hill missed his second free throw and it all went horribly after that. J.R. Smith grabbed the offensive rebound right under the basket, but he thought the Cavs were ahead and attempted to dribble the clock out.
James was seen frustrated with Smith and he sat on the bench showing his clear disgust for what had happened. The Cavs eventually lost in overtime and were swept in the series, with James showing he had a fractured right hand after punching a whiteboard due to Smith's blunder.
#4 LeBron James vs Mario Chalmers
Another slight feud with another teammate of LeBron James occurred with Mario Chalmers in his Miami Heat days.
LeBron James won two championship with the Heat and Chalmers was the team's starting guard both times. They were reportedly close, and James was often seen giving Chalmers all kinds of instructions on the court.
Despite their alleged close relationship, Chalmers and James almost threw punches during a timeout. When the Heat faced Eastern Conference rivals Indiana Pacers in the 2013-14 season, LeBron James was seen heated with Chalmers on the sidelines and confronting him face to face. The situation did not get out of hand, but it was definitely close.
James, being the good leader he is, apologized to Chalmers after the incident.