The second episode of, ‘Mind The Game Podcast’ was quite something, as LeBron James and JJ Reddick dived deep into the intricacies of NBA defense. While the show was dedicated to discussing defensive schematics, the duo veered into the topic of modern NBA jargon. The word of choice was ‘bag’, as LeBron James had a lot to say about the terminology. For the King, the word ‘bag’ means nothing more than having one-on-one skill, something that James feels is overvalued in the modern game.
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Even Wizards legend Gilbert Arenas seems to agree with the King. Agent Zero aired out his opinions on his show Gils Arena. Talking about the buzzword [ bag] Arenas let his co-hosts know,
“the definitions that are coming into the game are coming from people who haven’t played the game, who’s not in the game, they are just watching it…it becomes overused and overrated.”
The modern game is fast. The league functions on efficiency and getting things done quickly. In a fast-paced game like this, focusing on flashiness can often be detrimental. The aspect of ‘team basketball ‘ is often missing in the modern game as franchises like Miami and San Antonio start to become a dying breed.
Gilbert Arenas might be a little hypocritical
Nothing escapes the eyes of NBA Twitter. After recently going off on the discourse surrounding the term ” bag”, NBA Twitter found clips of Arenas hypocritical engaging in the use of the word while talking about Kevin Durant . The clip is from an episode that took place last year.
Reacting to Arenas’s hypocrisy, Twitter/X user @krispursiainen jocking wrote,
“Who would ever spend time talking about that stuff!”
Another fan by the name @Theblackmamba24 took a shot at LeBron, denouncing the King the user wrote
” Lebron mad bc he has zero bag and can’t create a shot to save his life without a screen lol.”
NBA Twitter even dug up Arenas’s older comments. Bringing up his comments targeting Giannis @ DreAllDay wrote,
” You started the bag conversation. I remember you criticizing Giannis, saying that what he did – what you just described in this clip – did not require “skill.” James Harden co-opted it in his campaign for MVP one year. “
Even though Arenas seems to be back-peddling on his words, the truth seems to be rather clear. As the game expands newer variations in basketball lingo are bound to emerge. Though LeBron’s emphasis on team play is commendable, the existence of isolation play will always exists. Having an arsenal of offensive and defensive skills, even on an individual level, is a must. The team game is just an added layer that lays over a person’s capabilities as a player.
