Gilbert Arenas criticized people for holding LeBron James to a different standard than Michael Jordan as a 40-year-old player. The former Washington Wizards star, who played with the six-time NBA champion and also faced the LA Lakers superstar as an opponent, expressed his discomfort with people who tried to raise unrealistic expectations for James.
A clip from his Gil’s Arena show shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday shows Arenas debating co-host Rashad McCants and calling out the double standards fans have for James and Jordan.
“No one gave Michael Jordan anything, they didn’t expect anything from him, they were just so happy to see a 40-year-old go with an average of 20 (points per game). Why (do) they put in so much effort? ” about trying to take down LeBron for only playing at 40 years old. We’ll pretend he’s 20. We pretend he’s 22 or 23. He is expected to win the championship is 40! He’s older than Shams (Charania)!” said Arena.
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On the other hand, McCants said that given his resume and the franchise he plays for, LeBron James is expected to win a championship regardless of his age. He even included Kobe Bryant in the conversation.
“You came here when my husband was alive and he said, ‘Hey, are you sure you’re up for this challenge? You’re expected to win every year.’ So if you don’t, how do we look at you? We don’t deliver!” McCants said passionately.
After winning their most recent NBA championship in 2020, the LA Lakers have tried without success to return to the top of the league. They are sixth in the Western Conference standings (20-16), but there is nothing to indicate they can make a deep playoff run this year.
LeBron James continues to show he’s still got it with emphatic two-handed dunk
LeBron James is not your average 40-year-old athlete or even person. The four-time NBA champion sent social media into a frenzy on Tuesday with a huge play against the Dallas Mavericks. After Rui Hachimura missed a three-pointer, James received Max Christie’s pass, attacked the rim and dunked the ball over a much younger Dereck Lively III.
Although the Lakers were dominated by the Mavs 118-97, James had one of the biggest moments of the night. He finished that game with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes. LeBron James and the Lakers return to the court on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena.
Edited by Orlando Silva