Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James offered some interesting remarks when he learned that Kendrick Perkins picked Giannis Antetokounmpo as his preseason MVP pick.
While texting with James, Perkins noted that he had Giannis leading the proverbial pack in the MVP race. James, who is showing little to no signs of regression in his 17th season of NBA service, gave a direct reply:
“I sent him a text and I said. ‘Look man, I’ve got Giannis ahead of you,’” Kendrick Perkins said to James, via The Athletic. “And that’s when he texted me back and said, ‘Oh don’t worry, I’m gonna reclaim my throne.’ And I was like, ‘OK, well then do it mothafucka.’ He’s like, ‘I am, mothafucka.’”
James and the Lakers were playing well before the NBA’s decision to suspend the regular season due to the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, at 49-14 overall, Los Angeles is holding the best record in the Western Conference and have clinched a spot in the postseason (if there is one) for the first time since 2013.
LeBron, specifically, has been great. The former No. 1 overall pick has made 60 appearances with the Lake Show this season, racking up averages of 25.7 points on 49.8 percent shooting from the field (34.9 percent from beyond the arc), a league-leading 10.6 assists, 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 34.9 minutes per outing. Notably, James is on pace to lead the league in assists for the first time in his career.
There were many who would have agreed with Perkins’ stance on Antetokounmpo earlier this season. Now, however, some analysts believe LeBron James is the favorite for this year’s MVP, including Perkins.
Prior to the coronavirus suspension, LeBron and the Lakers managed to dispatch Giannis and the Bucks, who are currently holding the best record in the NBA at 52-12 overall. But has The King done enough to earn a fifth MVP award? We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out.
LeBron James’ Former Coach Reveals Why He Picks Michael Jordan as the Better Player of the Two
How many ever players come and go in the 00s, everything is going to narrow down to the same old debate. Michael Jordan or LeBron James? The discussion is just monotonous to many by now. Or is it that the parameters of comparison are coming to an end? Moreover, every greatest of players from Shaquille O’Neal to Scottie Pippen have answered to this question.
Aren’t we getting bored of these facts?
The same old things, how Michael Jordan leads his narrative of winning six championships in comparison to LeBron’s three. The latter’s fans will argue about LeBron being a better team player than Jordan. The present Lakers star has been spectacular with the assists numbers. He led the charts in the recent season as well with an incredible 10.6 APG. But we cannot ignore Jordan’s legacy as the best NBA player in the 90s and still considered a fierce competition for those looking to reach the top of NBA statistics.
Well, this is endless. But recently, ‘The Last Dance’ fans have renewed this debate over who’s the GOAT. Denver Nuggets coach, Mike Malone brought a new perspective to this debate after the release of the latest episodes of the docu-series.
Malone sidelines LeBron James as the GOAT
On a Zoom call with the reporters, Malone undoubtedly seemed quite clear with the 90s star up on top of this debate.
“It’s always an ongoing argument about who is the GOAT. Michael obviously is up there and is the greatest of all time,” Malone mentioned, “There are not many Michael Jordans out there. I coached LeBron James for five years and have a great relationship with him. LeBron did not have the same mindset or killer mentality that Michael Jordan is supposed to have had. But LeBron James is arguably the greatest of all time as well.”
Clearly, according to Mike, it’s the ‘killer mentality’ that sets Jordan apart. “Michael Jordan was not just a great player. He would reach into your chest and pull your heart out if he had to win a game,” Malone asserted, “You don’t see that really often. He had that killer mindset and brought it every single night. That’s why all of these many years later, he’s the greatest of all time.”
Jordan held on to the Bulls dynasty for an extremely long time. Moreover, his achievements made the Bulls the NBA favorites in the 90s. It’s probably the ‘Flu Game’ as many like to call it or the tiresome road to Eastern Conference finals that defines Jordan’s ‘killer mentality’.
LeBron is known to be a team player on the list of NBA greats. Is that what makes him less aggressive?
