The Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs earlier this week as the Denver Nuggets reached their first-ever NBA Finals. The loss hit Lakers star LeBron James especially hard, with the twenty-year veteran admitting that he would be at least contemplating retirement this offseason.
However, LeBron has caught some heat for his playoff performances this year. This included 19 consecutive missed threes attempted in the fourth quarter of games. Furthermore, LeBron had a number of opportunities to send Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to overtime. However, he failed to break past a stifling Nuggets defensive effort. This has led to some fierce criticism from some unusual sources.
Kwame Brown Blasts LeBron
A video of retired NBA player Kwame Brown blasting LeBron has gone viral. “I have never seen a guy of your caliber, supposed caliber, you don’t even get a shot off?” Brown says at one point in his seven-minute rant. “You’re probably the best scorer in the game, you got all these points. But you were looking for a bailout, again.” At another point in the video, Brown argues that “Throughout history, the little nerds are gonna look up your statline and say ‘He’s gotta be the greatest player to ever play the game’. And people who actually play are gonna know that is bullshit."
It's a weird claim to make in general. One muted playoffs at age 38 does not invalidate an entire career. However, what makes it weirder is who is saying it. While Kwame Brown is known for being outspoken, he doesn't really have a leg to stand on in this fight. Drafted first overall by the Wizards in 2001, Brown averaged 6.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists over a 12-year career. Other players drafted after Brown in the 2001 draft include Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker. By comparison, LeBron averaged 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists over the first 12 years of his career. Brown also made the playoffs a total of four times in his NBA career, putting up 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds across 18 appearances. So, while he is entitled to his opinion, Brown might want to sit this one out.
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