LeBron James is inarguably being the best player of his generation. However, he’s often criticized for not taking over games in the fourth quarter and shouldering the responsibility for leading his team to victory. Joining this train is Lenny Cooke, James’ high school rival, who recently echoed this exact criticism, claiming this is one trait the Los Angeles Lakers superstar couldn’t take from him.
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During an interview with social media influencer Joy De’Angela, Cooke, the top-rated high school player in America ahead of James and Carmelo Anthony in 2001, couldn’t help but brag about himself. He initially claimed that the four-time NBA champion reminded him of himself. When asked if James copied his playstyle, he replied,
“Absolutely. Everybody does. But, you know what I mean? One thing that you can’t teach is heart. I always been a dog! I just feel like he’s not a dog! He don’t want the ball at the end of the game. He don’t want to be judged for making the wrong play. I don’t care about making the wrong play… Just watching him the Finals. So, big decisions, he turn down.”
Lenny Cooke, one of LeBron's BIGGEST High School Rival, claims LeBron is “NOT a dog and does NOT want the ball at the end of the game.”
Thoughts?! 👀 pic.twitter.com/XSPpnLGng2
— Joy De’Angela (@joydeangela) July 16, 2024
Cooke’s take that James cowers from the ball in the fourth quarter is popular among the Lakers superstar’s detractors. However, it’s far from the truth. The four-time NBA champion is the all-time leader in fourth-quarter points in the regular season as well as the playoffs.
Cooke is seemingly alluding to James often passing up a game-winning shot to his teammates. Many have used this as ammunition to attack his mentality. However, the four-time MVP has often said that he’d never force a shot late in the game and would pass the ball to his teammates if they had a better look at the basket.
Indeed, with the gravity to attract two, or potentially even three players with the game winding down, it would only make sense to draw and dish out for a better shot to win the game. While his logic is irrefutable, his detractors, like Cooke, claim it’s an excuse to avoid being responsible for his team’s fate.
James has never let the critics get to him and continues trying to make the right play late in the game. While that has only amplified the critics’ voices, the Lakers superstar remains unbothered.
