The Los Angeles Lakers’ hopes of making the NBA playoffs may be in limbo, but LeBron James shouldn’t take most of the blame. The 39-year-old is still one of the most important pieces in the Lakers roster despite his age.
The fact that LeBron is still a key contributor despite his advanced age deserves respect across the league. However, his production did take a hit this season, which prompted Shaquille O’Neal to claim that nobody in the league fears him anymore.
While Shaq did say some fighting words, LeBron responded with a cheeky story that will have everyone chuckling.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James snaps back at Shaq for saying no NBA player fears him anymore through IG story
The battle of words between the former teammates began when Shaq went public on The Big Podcast with Shaq to express his thoughts, as reported by Basketball Forever:
“I’ve heard players say, including myself, ”I feared Mike [Michael Jordan],’” O’Neal said at the time. “I’ve heard players in your generation say they feared Kobe… I’ve never really heard any player say they feared LeBron.’”
LeBron snapped back with an Instagram story that will make anyone think that Bron heard Shaq loud and clear.
It’s a direct jab to Shaq while also letting everyone know that he’s been a dominant NBA player for a long time now. The fact that he has more consecutive 10+-point games than Shaq’s total NBA games played is a mighty flex by the King.
Why LeBron should still be considered a feared player despite his age
Indeed, James isn’t currently producing at a level that’s expected out of him. Through 60 regular-season games, he only has 25.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 8.1 APG.
However, it’s important to remember that King James is the second-most used player in this year’s Lakers roster at 35.1 MPG. The fact that he can still play at this level and win “meaningless” games without his body breaking down on him should be enough to have opponents fear him.
Moreover, everyone knows that James flips the switch when the playoffs come rolling around. Now that the postseason is almost upon us, it wouldn’t be weird to expect James to step up his play and help the Los Angeles Lakers make another playoff series.
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