NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently revisited comments made by his former Miami Heat teammate, Mario Chalmers, who stated that opponents didn’t fear LeBron James. On The Big Podcast, O’Neal and Chalmers discussed the controversy sparked by Chalmers‘ remarks.
O’Neal’s remarks
While Chalmers stood by his statement, O’Neal suggested that James, while a “nice guy,” might not evoke fear among opponents.
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“So I’ve heard players say, including myself, I feared Mike,” O’Neal said.
“I heard players of your generation say they feared Kobe. I never really heard any player say they feared LeBron.”
Though O’Neal‘s remarks may not directly criticize James, they are perceived as negative. The discussion raises questions about James‘ ability to win another title before retirement, potentially silencing critics.
“It’s not that you shouldn’t fear ‘Bron,” Chalmers said.
“I just think, at the end of the day, ‘Bron has been through so much that he wanted to be liked.”
“So, it was kind of like… ”I’m going to do things now so that people like me, people respect me.’
“I mean [people are] always going to respect what [he] did but you’re actually going to like ‘Bron and want to be a fan of ‘Bron now. So I think that’s what that was…”
Jordan and Kobe were known for their ruthless competitiveness and ‘kill or be killed’ mindset on the basketball court, traits that sometimes led to conflicts with teammates.
Jordan infamously punched teammate Steve Kerr during practice, while Bryant reportedly refused to speak to Lakers teammate Smush Parker for two years.
In contrast, LeBron has always been praised for his ability to involve teammates and create a positive team dynamic. He is celebrated not only for his scoring prowess but also for his exceptional passing and rebounding abilities.
James holds the unique distinction of being the only player in NBA history to achieve over 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists.
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