“LeBron James is an All Around Player, I’m not Afraid!”: Gilbert Arenas Explains Why Players Feared Michael Jordan And not the King

Tonoy Sengupta | 23/03/2023
"LeBron James is an All Around Player, I'm not Afraid!": Gilbert Arenas Explains Why Players Feared Michael Jordan And not the King

When it comes to the GOAT debate, Michael Jordan has just about always had the upper hand against LeBron James. Why? Well, there are a multitude of reasons. Some say it’s because MJ has 6 rings, while LeBron James only has 4. Others say it’s because he played in an older, tougher era.

But, when it comes to former and current NBA players, the argument is very different. Here, it suddenly becomes about a ‘fear factor’, and how LeBron James doesn’t really have one, as opposed to Michael Jordan, who people apparently cowered in fear from.

In all seriousness, it’s hard to imagine that a built 6’6” man brings out the fear of god in other athletes, but a hulking 6’9” man wouldn’t. So, what is going on here? Gilbert Arenas recently sat down to explain.

 

Gilbert Arenas reveals why people aren’t scared of LeBron James close to how they were afraid of Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was a different kind of player during his time in the NBA. But of course, that’s hardly a surprise.

During his playing days, opposing players would make it a point to not exchange smack talk with him. Not because it had no effect on him, but rather, because it did. Yes, you talked enough smack to this man, and suddenly he’s giving you 60. And according to Gilbert Arenas, that mentality is where the fear comes from. Here is what he had to say on the matter.

“Did anyone fear Magic? No. Did anyone fear Stockton or Malone? No… No one feared Tim Duncan. Jordan was feared. Al was feared. Kobe was feared. LeBron (James) is an all-around player. I’m not afraid of a guy who’s gonna give me 29/9/9, I’m afraid of a man who’s gonna go for 60 if I’m not careful.”

That does seem to make some sense. At the end of the day, players would obviously be more fearful of getting humiliated, as opposed to simply losing. And perhaps, all these years, that is exactly what LeBron James has been lacking, something that may always keep him from truly becoming the GOAT.

 

When will LeBron James return to the court?

LeBron James is currently out with an ankle injury and one that was initially expected to be a very serious one. However, as time passed it was deemed reports came out that there was no structural damage, and that the King was expected to recover fairly quickly, with there being no need for surgery.

That being said, there is no exact timeline in place just yet. The only update available on the matter is that James is expected back out on the court sometime this season.

Post Edited By: Tonoy Sengupta
Gilbert Arenas LeBron James Michael Jordan

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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