LeBron James has been in the league for so long that it almost seems like he’s played with everyone. He only missed out on playing against his idol Michael Jordan by a few months, but he managed to play against MJ’s protege, Kobe Bryant. And of course, there is a myriad of other NBA greats he has either played with or gone up against during his 20-year career.
Advertisement
Gilbert Arenas was one such player, with whom he had great battles. The superstar PG was at the peak of his powers during the early 2000s. In fact, before the Gun incident, he was even competing with Kobe Bryant for the scoring title.
One of their greatest came during the 2005-06 playoffs when both of them scored 30 points or more. The outcome? Arenas lost, and LeBron James tapped him on the shoulder, which was his way of telling him “his time is over.” That was a moment that Nick Young, Arenas’ former teammate, couldn’t help but bring up in a recent podcast.
Also Read: LeBron James Jr: Has Bronny James Legally Changed His Name?
Gilbert Arenas was hurt when Nick Young brought it up – He had his best season after the “Tap”
Swaggy P called it the “LeBron Hex” because he fell into a spiral after that. He said all he saw Gil do was shoot Free throws after the loss. “Your career was over“. A comment that almost caused Gil to go into a tizzy, trying to explain how it wasn’t! “2006-07 WAS THE NEXT YEAR” he kept shouting, and what a season it was!
Nick Young was messing with his senior, laughing all the way. Agent Zero was trying to prove to his junior what a great player he was, and also show Nick that his memory is fuzzy.
No Chill Gil was a pure scorer; he was one of the best at it. In the 2005-06 season, he scored 29.3 points and followed it up with 28.4 points. That season was his best statistically, with him finishing as high as eighth on the MVP list. Sure, he wasn’t even the runner-up. But he eighth? That’s not bad either.
That was also the season where he dropped 60 points on the actual runner-up, Kobe Bryant. and 54 on the eventual winner, Steve Nash. Gilbert Arenas may not have come close to the podium, but he sure did humble ones that were on the podium.
Nick Young pulling his leg is genuinely funny because it brings out that part of Arenas not many knew was there. He was competitive and wanted to show he was also great, not just a has-been.
LeBron James has ended a lot of careers
Before he entered the league, the entirety of the Cavaliers squad thought he was just a hyped-up teenage boy who did not seem that great—it was the TV that made him look cool. And when he finally did play for the Cavs, they all stood behind him and let him carry their squad for years. And he did it with ease while wiping off the smirks on his opponents’ faces as well.
Gilbert Arenas may have a winning record against Bron overall (15-14), but in the playoffs, when it mattered, he suffered quite a bit. After losing to him seven times in 10 games, Arenas had no answer for “Playoff Mode” LeBron James.
