LeBron James’ Reveals When Shaq Stopped Being His Hero: “You Are Doing Something Right”

Published 04/18/2024, 4:06 PM EDT

In year 21 LeBron James is on his way to his 17th playoff, still as the focal point of his team, a feat almost alien. For his first one, King James had managed to drag an underperforming Cleveland Cavaliers team to a playoff, three years in. To do that, he had to be tough. This meant looking league legends such as Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Tracy McGrady directly in the eye while competing with them, something he might have gotten used to by then.

In the most recent episode of ‘The Shop’, LBJ talks about the exact moment those iconic NBA players turned from idols to rivals. “When I came into the league it was like Allen Iverson, it was Kobe, Kevin Garnett, T-Mac, Jason Kidd, all those guys I looked up to—Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway,” said Bron.

Though he mentions all these legends what said next will give fans a glimpse into the real reason the Akron Hammer is untouchable. “And I get into my rookie year and I’m playing against them, Shaq, I’m like, ‘Damn, this is crazy.’ And then I actually had a little second like, ‘Oh, you’re supposed to be here. You’re doing something right, champ, ‘” said James. And then he went on to play 53 games with Shaq in his final moments with the Cavaliers, preceded by a 6-11 W/L record against him.

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Even at age 20, Bron dared to understand that players like Shaq are rivals rather than heroes. This gives us a unique perspective into an all-time great, who performed at the highest level, defying all bounds of age.

What separates LeBron James from other greats?

To put things in context, most greats don’t play as long as LeBron James. Either an injury or inconsistent training woe hinders longer careers. For Instance, Shaq played for 19 seasons, and Kobe for 16. In the last year of Mamba’s career, he averaged 17.6 points way below his career average of 25. O’Neal scored only 9.2 points, 14.5 points less than his career average of 23.7 points.

LBJ averaged 25.7 points this year, with his career average at 27.1, while improving on his three-point percentage from his years prior. To illustrate, simply by pitting LeBron against the greatest Laker duo of the 21st century, it’s evident Bron’s longevity is miles ahead of both.

Another mind-boggling fact to consider is that even in year 21, this isn’t the last year of his career. James still has plenty of gas left in the tank and he will be around for at least two more seasons. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to understand the magnitude of someone’s greatness while they are still around, but numbers don’t lie.

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Written by:

Akashdeep Banerjee is an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. He commenced his journey in sports writing after obtaining a degree in Mass Communication. The pinnacle of the three-point revolution, marked by the captivating performances of Stephen Curry and the GSW, ignited his passion.

Edited by:

Shivatmika Manvi

LeBron James’ Reveals When Shaq Stopped Being His Hero: “You Are Doing Something Right”

What separates LeBron James from other greats?

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