Gilbert Arenas criticized people for holding LeBron James To a different standard than Michael Jordan as a 40-year-old player. Former Washington Wizards star, played six times NBA faced the LA Lakers superstar as a champion and rival at the same time, expressed concern about people trying to set unrealistic expectations for James.
A clip from Gil's Arena show shared Thursday on X (formerly Twitter) shows Arenas host Rashad McCants discussing and fans chanting double standards for James and Jordan.
“Nobody gave Michael Jordan — they didn't expect anything from him, they were just happy to see a 40-year-old go out there and average 20 (points per game). Trying to knock LeBron just because he's 40. We're pretending he's 20. We claim that he is 22 or 23. He is older than Shams (Charania)!
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On the other hand, McCants said, given his resume and the franchise he plays for, LeBron James is expected to win a championship regardless of his age. He even brought Kobe Bryant into the conversation.
“You came here when my man was still alive and he said, 'Hey, are you sure you're ready for this challenge?' You're going to be expected to win every year.” If you don't, how do we see you? McCants said passionately.
After winning the latest NBA championship in 2020 LA Lakers We tried to return to the top of the league without success. They sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings (20-16), but nothing suggests they can make a deep playoff run this year.
LeBron James continues to show he's still got it with a two-handed dunk
LeBron James is not your average 40-year-old athlete or even person. The four-time NBA champion sent social media into a frenzy with a big game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. After Rui Hachimura missed a 3-pointer, James took a pass from Max Christie, drove to the rim and dunked the ball past Derek Lively III on a low layup.
Although the Lakers dominated the Mavs 118-97, James starred in one of the biggest moments of the night. He finished that game with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in 35 minutes. LeBron James and the Lakers return to the court against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.
Edited by Orlando Silva