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Former Lakers Star Shockingly Calls LeBron James “Out of Shape” and a Defensive Liability in Strong Take

Published 11/16/2022, 4:10 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a difficult situation yet again with a 3-10 record in the Western Conference. The chemistry still seems to be lacking in the Lakers roster as the team continues to lose close encounters. Moreover, LeBron James’ leg injury has made things tougher for the Lakers. The four-time NBA champ is expected to return back for Friday’s game. Amid the drama, former Lakers star Kwame Brown has given a strong take on LeBron James, questioning his defensive abilities. Brown also claimed that LeBron was ‘out of shape’ this season which could prove costly, given his age.

Kwame Brown was the first overall pick for the Washington Wizards in 2001. He was a part of the Los Angeles Lakers team from 2005-2008. Brown recently shared his opinion on former basketball veteran Jay Williams’ thoughts on LeBron James’ current form. The former Duke University player had claimed that James was not even in the top ten NBA players list currently.

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Brown shared that Jay Williams put big players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Luka Doncic ahead of LeBron James. Moreover, the former Lakers star suggested that these were the players who have been carrying their teams single-handedly each game.

Kwame Brown questions the fitness of LeBron James

Talking about the LeBron James situation, Brown did not think the Lakers superstar was in a state of carrying the team on his own. In his opinion, LeBron was actually taking it away from the team by shooting more. Brown then added that the team’s record reflects the same.

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Further, Kwame Brown also questioned James’ defensive abilities. He said, “LeBron is not the LeBron of the old. He can’t defend. I think he did himself and the team a disservice by coming in out of shape.”

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The former NBA veteran suggested that LeBron seemed to be out of shape when he came to the league this season. He laid out that LeBron should have been in top shape to keep his muscular and tissue problems from stopping him. He also pointed out that James has been dealing with more injuries in LA than he has in his entire career.

In other words, Brown ended up calling LeBron James out of shape, suggesting that the dazzling and enticing social life in LA might have been a reason for his lack of physical fitness.

Watch This Story: On verge of missing the whole season Lebron James’ bold stance would have changed Lakers’ fate in 2020 title run 

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However, the 37-year-old is still an integral part of the Lakers and the team will need him to have a respectable performance this season.

What do you think of Kwame Brown’s opinion? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Rohit Kumawat

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Rohit Kumawat is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing an MBA in Media and Business Management, Rohit holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has been working as a Sports and Entertainment writer for over a year.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder