Former NBA player and coach Mark Jackson talks about taking LeBron James and his greatness for granted on the Club Shay Shay podcast.
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King James is arguably the most gifted athlete of the current generation. Despite having the spotlight on him since he was 18-years old, James has had one of the most successful journeys in the NBA. The kid from Akron is one of the most scrutinized players in the history of the league.
The four-time NBA champion is entering his 19th year in the league, still being in his prime. James is 3K points away from eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in scoring and ranks 8th on the list of all-time leaders in assists.
Recently, while appearing on Shannon Sharpe‘s podcast, Mark Jackson was seen discussing the evolution of the 36-year old. Both Sharpe and Jackson agreed on James’ success, not getting that much acknowledgment.
Jackson, who had seen James since his high-school days, talks about the Lakers superstar being a force of nature. The former Warriors coach also blames the internet for nitpicking and overanalyzing statistics.
Mark Jackson feels LeBron James needs to be celebrated and acknowledged.
When asked about James being taking for granted, Jackson couldn’t help but agree. The former Rockets player was in his last season when James would make his NBA debut. However, Jackson knew from the very start that the kid from Akron was special.
“LeBron was in high school and he was on TV and I came into the look room the next day and I said this guy is gonna be special. He has no weaknesses in his game. Make a long story short we go back and move all of these years forward and you look at his resume and all the things he has been able to accomplish individually and collectively. The different stops, the way he’s made guys better.”
According to Jackson, the only two things that one could question James over were his choice to buy a Hummer and The Decision. When asked James not getting enough credit for being a top scorer, Jackson said,
.@MarkJackson13: “LeBron is as good as it gets. We truly take him for granted.”@shannonsharpe: “We’ve never had a guy that’ll be Top 10 in assists and the All-Time leading scorer. And when you mention great scorers, LeBron never comes up.” pic.twitter.com/WiCugmdCsg
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) September 28, 2021
“This guy, if he stays healthy is gonna be the leading scorer in NBA history and I’m a point guard that is a pass-first point guard that is played 17-years and this guy will one day pass me as an assist man. I would have been like no way in the world and I’m not talking about me being great I’m talking about the one gift that I did have that couldn’t be questioned, with my ability to find guys. This guy (LeBron James) has done a better job than me and be the leading scorer in the history of the game.”
Mark Jackson talks about how the Internet discredits LeBron James
Jackson also spoke of the internet being one the biggest reasons why James’ greatness doesn’t receive due credit. Both Sharpe and Jackson felt that everyone on social media tries to be an analytic, coach, and expert. That leads to certain cynics driving a personal agenda.
Both Jackson and Sharpe make some valid points as never before have we seen a player with James’ ability. Over the years, the four-time Finals MVP has been victim to a lot of false propaganda.
