There are many tags attached to LeBron James’ name in the NBA, but “point guard” isn’t usually one of them. At least, not if you ask Gilbert Arenas. The three-time All-Star had a back-and-forth on the topic during the latest edition of the No Chill Gill stream with host Josiah Johnson.
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Arenas and Johnson were breaking down the point guard position and how their role is seemingly unimportant in the grand scheme of winning a championship. “The point guards are not effective to the team,” claimed Arenas. “They are just defensive players or spot-up shooters.”
This led to an argument about PGs picking up assists, with Arenas soapboxing about how the offense runs through the best player on the team—and if that player happens to be a PG, à la Steve Nash, it won’t work for too long.
He backed this claim up by mentioning how teams like the ’90s Bulls, the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers, or the Gregg Popovich-era San Antonio Spurs won all those championships, yet their best player was never the point guard.
Johnson, however, threw one major name at him to dispute the claim: LeBron James in 2020. “Yo, you trying to tell me that LeBron wasn’t the point guard on that Lakers championship team?” he asked.
Gil, however, wasn’t about to buy that nonsense. “So Draymond (Green) was the point guard on the teams he won with because he led the team in assists? No.”
The two friends continued to butt heads, but Arenas’ larger point was an interesting one. Green did rack up a ton of assists in the Warriors’ four NBA Championship wins. But he is clearly not the point guard of those teams—that role belongs to Steph Curry. Johnson, however, kept pointing out that LeBron “was listed” as a point guard for the Lakers’ 2020 Bubble win against the Heat.
Regardless of the argument, one thing that cannot be taken away from King James is his passing prowess. He’s great at slipping passes through tight spots, pulling off no-look assists, and setting up his teammates to score. Reading defenses and adjusting on the fly is just part of what makes him such a smart playmaker.
Funnily enough, James was listed as the Lakers’ point guard during the 2019-2020 season, including the playoffs. He went on to win the title that year—and earned Finals MVP in the process. Point-Guard LeBron at work?
“It’s weird that they don’t label LeBron a PG even though he’s lead his team in assists,” admitted Arenas after the fact. This is exactly the point Josiah was getting at. “They started doing it though, at least in the latter stages,” he stated.
James could 1000% play point guard on offense and then shift to guarding a forward on defense with how flexible the game has become. He might not be considered a PG when all is said and done. But even if he were, he probably still wouldn’t get the credit for it.
