LeBron James is not a Patrick Beverley but the man can instigate someone at his will, he has done it for a long time.
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Over the years, LeBron James has entertained multiple generations of fans. When one comes in as the most popular draftees of the country and plays almost 20 years with no significant drop in their game, they become immortal.
His legacy and immortality in the game of basketball will be defined by how much fun he and the players playing with him had while doing the thing he loves the most.
Unlike Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, he doesn’t let wins or losses change his love for the game. That’s how he has done it for so long.
And when you do it this way, most people will love you. It doesn’t matter whether they are your team’s fans or others’ or even if they are the partners of a player you are destroying.
LeBron James picks apart Kyle Kuzma in front of his girlfriend and then laughs with her
Since coming to LA, LeBron has been held responsible to get several great young guys traded away from the team like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram etc., in just his second year, and the likes of Alex Caruso and Kyle Kuzma after 2020-21.
One must think these players would hate the 4x Champ for it but when you look at this clip you certainly know neither Kuzma nor his girlfriend kept a grudge against The King for being LeGM.
If Kuzma literally was hating on James while he was in LA after their championship year and after his trade to the Washington Wizards, his girlfriend wouldn’t be laughing when the 37-year-old was bullying Kuz on the court.
That is how contagious James and his greatness are. We know players aren’t bigger than the game, but he is the Sun if the NBA were a Solar System.
And you like and admire the Sun even if it can burn you, but it is necessary for existence, and in this case, NBA’s popularity.