LeBron James being the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer is news to nobody. However, few know he managed that feat while playing primarily with his weaker hand. The four-time NBA champion is naturally left-handed but shoots with his right. The reason? The forward claims it’s Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway.
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The latter was asked about James crediting him for being ambidextrous on the Out The Mud podcast and he revealed that the Lakers superstar’s admiration for him is extremely endearing. He said,
“LeBron and I when we meet up, we chop it up. He’s a guy that appreciates the skill set and the IQ of the game. So yeah, he studied my game. I talked to Rich Paul about it years ago. LeBron shouted me out as one of his favorite players years ago. And I appreciate that because I just tried to play the game at a high level and show up every night.”
Hardaway was one of the most exciting players in the 1990s and a hero to kids who grew up in that decade. He couldn’t reach his full potential as a player as injuries severely hampered his career.
But in the limited time he operated at the peak of his powers, he was good enough to turn future players, like James, into his fans and prompt them to model their games around him. Even if it meant using their opposite hand. The four-time MVP has never shied away from naming Hardaway as his inspiration and the reason why he plays primarily with his opposite hand.
LeBron James named Penny Hardaway as one of his heroes
In a post-game press conference during the 2017 playoffs, James was asked why he shoots, passes, and dribbles with his opposite hand. He responded,
“I think it’s probably Michael Jordan, Penny Hardaway, guys I looked up to growing up. Seeing those guys shooting righty so I said I guess I’ll shoot righty. I’m pretty much a left-hand guy. I don’t take many of those shots, but I’m capable of making those shots. I work on my craft. I work on both hands.”
Penny Hardaway is one of the reasons why LeBron James became a right-handed player even though he’s a lefty.
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 18, 2018
Hardaway may not have had the career he envisioned. But hearing from one of the greatest players ever that he modeled his game around playstyle is the kind of validation that not many icons have gotten.
