Gilbert Arenas criticized people for holding LeBron James to different standards than Michael Jordan as a 40-year-old. 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 trying to set unrealistic expectations on the respect of James.
A clip from his show Gil’s Arena shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday shows Arenas debating with co-host Rashad McCants and calling out fans’ double standards for James and Jordan.
“Nobody gave Michael Jordan – they didn’t expect anything from him, they were so happy to see a 40-year-old go out there and average 20 (points per game). Why (are they) doing so much effort? about trying to tear LeBron down for playing at 40 We pretend he’s 22 or 23. that he wins the championship. He is 40 years old! He is older than Shams (Charania)!” » said Arenes.
•
On the other side, McCants said that given his resume and the franchise he plays for, LeBron James should win a championship regardless of his age. He even brought Kobe Bryant into the conversation.
“You came here when my man was still alive and he said to me, ‘Hey, are you sure you’re up for this challenge? You’re expected to win every year.’ So when you don’t, how do we look at you? We don’t keep our promises!” McCants said passionately.
After winning their last NBA championship in 2020, the LA Lakers attempted to return to the top of the league without success. They sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings (20-16), but there’s nothing to suggest they can make a deep playoff run this year.
LeBron James continues to show he’s still successful with an emphatic two-handed dunk
LeBron James is not an athlete or even an ordinary 40-year-old. The four-time NBA champion sent social media into a frenzy on Tuesday with a huge game against the Dallas Mavericks. After Rui Hachimura missed a 3-point shot, James received Max Christie’s pass, attacked the rim and dunk the ball over a much younger Derek Lively III.
Even though the Lakers were dominated by the Mavs 118-97, James starred in 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 Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena.
Edited by Orlando Silva
