Former NFL Star Calls Out Iman Shumpert For Saying LeBron James Ruined Basketball: “The LeBron that Left Cleveland Did Not Run the NBA. That Was Kobe Bryant”

Published 12/23/2021, 12:30 PM EST

LeBron James has come under the media’s microscope once again after his former teammate, Iman Shumpert, accused him of ruining basketball. While LeBron has so far chosen to remain silent on this issue, several current and former sports athletes spoke out in his defense. Among them are the former NFL stars Marcellus Wiley and Emmanuel Acho.

Wiley and Acho are hosts of the “Speak For Yourself” show. In their most recent episode, they responded in LeBron’s defense with some exceptional statistics and facts. This is what they said about LeBron James.

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Former NFL star shoot down Shumpert’s claims about LeBron James

While reacting to Iman’s comment on LeBron ruining basketball, Emmanuel Acho said, “Our problem is we have revisionist history. And we also operate with hindsight bias. The bias of realizing LeBron went to four straight championships with the Heat, the bias of realizing that LeBron then became a back-to-back NBA MVP with the Miami Heat, but that’s not the LeBron James that left.”

Following which he asserted, “Let me remind everyone that the LeBron James that left did not run the NBA that was Kobe Bryant. The late great Kobe Bryant.”

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Was Shumpert right in claiming LeBron ruined basketball?

Kobe Bryant was in the prime of his career when LeBron left Cleveland for the first time. So it makes little sense to say that he used his influence to “ruin basketball”. Since LeBron was only an upcoming star, who had only been to the NBA Finals once when he left Cleveland for the first time.

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Do you feel Acho is right in pointing out that James had not reached his prime when he left Cleveland? Let us know what you think about it.

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Written by:

Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Even though his journalism is driven by his desire to understand both sides of an argument and give a neutral perspective, he is biased towards Houston Rockets and Arsenal, and he has shown exactly how loyal he can be through tough times. Currently a Law student at Jindal Global Law School, he aims to have his own sports management firm one day and enjoys rap music during his time off.

Former NFL Star Calls Out Iman Shumpert For Saying LeBron James Ruined Basketball: “The LeBron that Left Cleveland Did Not Run the NBA. That Was Kobe Bryant”

Former NFL star shoot down Shumpert’s claims about LeBron James

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Was Shumpert right in claiming LeBron ruined basketball?