The GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James only intensified after ‘King James’ became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Some fans who rode the fence regarding the issue converted to join James’ legion of fans after the historic feat.
Mario Chalmers, who played with James in Miami for four years, has a different take on the conversation of the greatest player of all time. Here’s what he had to say about the difference between his former teammate and MJ:
“No one is afraid of Bron [James]. Nobody’s like, ‘Damn, I have to go play Bron tonight.’ Nobody said that. I do not know why? Because I’ve seen people get scared when they line up for him. But they are not afraid to think about this game. You hear anyone from that era talking about going against Jordan, there’s a fear.
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“So when you have people fearing a player, that already tells you something different. Jordan is just that guy. It was all, ‘I want to be like Mike.’ »
Mario Chalmers played a crucial role as part of the Miami Heat team that won four consecutive championships and won back-to-back NBA titles. He played with LeBron James when the 19x All-Star was at the peak of his physical prowess.
James and Dwyane Wade have taken the former Kansas Jayhawks superstar under their wings. During Miami’s dominating run, Chalmers often bore the brunt of tutelage and criticism from James and Wade. Chalmers witnessed the four-time MVP when he was most physically dominant.
Chalmer’s assertion will at the very least surprise hordes of the injured current LA Lakers superstar’s fans. The former Miami Heat guard apparently believes Michael Jordan’s “fear factor” was something even James couldn’t replicate at the peak of his powers.
Shaquille O’Neal has the same assertion as Mario Chalmers that no one is afraid of LeBron James
Mario Chalmers wasn’t the only former LeBron James teammate who thought the self-proclaimed greatest wasn’t as feared as Michael Jordan. Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal expressed the same opinion as Chalmers.
Here’s Shaq on how NBA players watched “King James”:
“LeBron is my guy, but nobody’s ever been scared of LeBron. So if you’re not scared of a guy, you just have a lot more confidence. He’s a dangerous guy to play with. They respect him, but they don’t fear him because I can tell, I saw him play against them, they weren’t afraid.”
In recent years, it is not for James that opposing players have a proper fear. Shaq added:
“They fear Giannis now. They fear Giannis because they can see in his face when he’s coming down the fucking track all over the field. They can see, yo, that guy ain’t playing.”
The greatest debate of all time involving LeBron James and Michael Jordan will never be fully resolved. Fans will have different perspectives on their take on who should be considered the best to ever play the game.
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