NBA world divided over LeBron James’ influential players take
LeBron James and his podcast co-host JJ Redick listed the players that they believe have impacted the game of basketball the most in NBA history, and LeBron’s picks raised some eyebrows.
On his podcast, Mind the Game, James went with Allen Iverson and Stephen Curry as having had the most sway on the game, inspiring young fans, and life off the court.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar took himself out of the equation despite his global influence. He also omitted Michael Jordan’s otherworldly impact as an obvious choice. However, James’ bold selections of the remaining NBA greats left viewers of his debut episode torn.
“Allen Iverson and Steph, they were just so relatable and kids felt like they could be them,” James said as he made his case.
“AI who’s like, unbelievable crossover, cornrows, arm sleeve. Everyone wears arm sleeves now because of Allen Iverson. And, he’s going in the trenches, laying up over bigs, whatever the case may be. And now you have Steph who’s shooting over the Empire State Building.”
Iverson’s gritty play style at 6-foot resonated with fans in a defensive-oriented era. The four-time scoring champion was an anti-establishment pioneer who all aspiring players wanted to emulate.
Meanwhile, Curry continues to revolutionize the way basketball is played and officiated. The NBA’s all-time leader in career three pointers forces defenses to extend to the perimeter, and coaches to downsize their lineups. His lethal marksmanship has given undersized kids a chance to affect the game from beyond the arc, as was rarely the case prior to his rise to stardom.
Many fans were in agreement with James’ take on Curry and Iverson. In Iverson’s case, many held his cultural impact in higher esteem than his play. However, others were appalled at the four-time league MVP leaving Jordan and Kobe Bryant off, which sparked much debate on social media.
Considering the fact that James prefaced his take by setting Jordan aside, his assertion otherwise holds weight. Curry and Iverson’s impact will be felt so long as basketball continues to be played.
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