USA Today via Reuters
LeBron James is second to none in terms of the impact he has had on the NBA, and basketball in general. Few can rival the number of accolades that King James has won over his illustrious 21-season NBA career. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that significant hype and media attention follow LeBron wherever he goes. As a result, his teammates also have to deal with constant media scrutiny. And one of his former teammates revealed that to be the hardest aspect of playing with James.
During the latest episode of Run It Back, Houston Rockets veteran Jeff Green made an appearance. Notably, Green played a season with LeBron James during the 2017-18 season with the Cavs. When quizzed by host and former NBA player Chandler Parsons about the hardest aspect of playing with LeBron, Green had this to say, “I would say just the media, and the pressure that they put on anyone that plays with him… The others have to play really well every game. There’s a lot of pressure on other guys to go out and play well.” Despite this, Jeff Green stated that he enjoyed playing with LeBron.
.@ChandlerParsons: “What’s the hardest part about playing with LeBron?”@unclejeffgreen: “I would say just the media, and the pressure that they put on anyone that plays with him.” pic.twitter.com/TB3ZncemAL
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 2, 2024
Playing with LeBron James also comes with its perks. Usually, playing with James results in winning. However, with winning comes the pressure of success and title expectations. In the one season that Jeff Green played with LeBron in Cleveland, the Cavs progressed all the way to the NBA Finals, only to be defeated by the KD-Steph Warriors.
Matthew Dellavedova, who played an instrumental role in Cleveland’s 2016 title triumph, revealed the expectations of playing alongside James in an interview with Bleacher Report. He said, “It’s not so much the external expectation; it’s more the internal expectations of the team and coaches and people on the inside.” Despite this, a former teammate of LeBron made a surprising claim about him.
Do opposing teams and players fear LeBron James?
No, if former Heat’s player Mario Chalmers is to be believed. It’s safe to suggest that James has garnered the respect of almost all his teammates. However, there are a few who didn’t get along with LeBron, and Mario Chalmers falls in that category. In an interview with Playmaker, Chalmers said, “Nobody fears Bron. Nobody’s like ‘[expletive] I gotta go play against Bron tonight.’ Nobody said that. I don’t know why.”
Mario Chalmers’ comments about LeBron James have caught many people by surprise. However, that’s to be expected, as James and Chalmers haven’t always had the best of relationships. LeBron and Chalmers nearly got into a physical altercation once while they were teammates in the Miami Heat. But that was an incident, and most of his former players have nothing but praise for LeBron. What are your thoughts? Do players fear LeBron? Let us know in the comments below!