LeBron James has spent decades being called the GOAT and collecting awards, but Pero Antic clearly never bought into the hype. The former Hawks big man, who entered the NBA as a 31-year-old rookie in 2013 before Atlanta was swept 4-0 by James and the Cavaliers in the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, has now reignited that old rivalry by calling LeBron “a little girl” more than a decade later.

In a recent interview, the former NBA player finally opened up about his views on LeBron James. “I can’t watch the NBA anymore,” he said on the Jao Mile podcast in September 2026.

“They’re comparing him to Jordan and Kobe. What? He’s like a little girl, always begging for something, then he flops and nags. LeBron ruined the NBA in one way. That’s my opinion.”

Pero Antic expressed that he had issues with James chasing the NBA’s all-time scoring record and with wanting to have his son, Bronny James, play with him in the same league and on the same team.

LeBron and Bronny James famously made history by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history in 2024. Both players were with the Los Angeles Lakers until James parted ways with the team to play with the Philadelphia 76ers instead.

Not only does Antic hold disdain for James in the present, he also seems to have had personal issues with him since the two clashed on the court back in the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals.

Pero Antic on his disdain for LeBron James

“Of course,” Antic said when asked if he felt the same way about James when they were playing against one another. “I wouldn’t have pushed him to the ground if I didn’t. I don’t care.”

Antic is likely referring to the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers. In the first quarter of Game 2, as LeBron James went up near the basket, Pero Antic pushed him mid-air, causing James to crash to the floor.

Antic was given a Flagrant 1 foul for his actions. Later, after Game 3, the Cavaliers’ Matthew Dellavedova was questioned about his own physical playstyle during the series, and James couldn’t help but chime in.

“There’s no in Game 2, when Antic two-hand shoves me out of the air,” he said, defending his teammate. “The fact that I’m still playing, we don’t talk about it, but he two hand shoves me in the air. So what are we really talking about?”

Led by LeBron James, the Cavaliers ended up winning the series 4-0. In the final game, the team defeated the Hawks 118-88. This was the final season that Pero Antic played with the Hawks and also in the NBA.

Afterwards, he signed with the Turkish team Fenerbahçe. The team won the Turkish Cup in 2016. They also reached the final game of the 2016 EuroLeague Final Four but fell short against CSKA Moscow.

As of 2026, Pero Antic is more of a basketball ambassador and executive, as opposed to being an active player. He retired from his professional career in 2019 after last playing with the Serbian team Crvena zvezda.

He was also previously the president of North Macedonia’s Basketball Federation, but in 2025, 38 clubs present at an Extraordinary Election Assembly unanimously voted no confidence in him.

Later, Tomica Glavchev assumed the federation’s presidency.