Over 3 decades of playing, and 22 years into the NBA, survival and ruling come only when you create a legacy where players feel the heat to stare down the King in his court. We have seen for eight straight seasons from 2010–11 to 2017–18, LeBron James ruled the Eastern Conference, dragging teams to the Finals with a mix of power, precision, and unshakable will. Some from that time admitted to being intimidated, others stayed silent, but all felt the pressure. But one player who faced James in back-to-back playoff battles summed it up best: the experience was anything but pleasant.

“Not this year,” the ex-NBA player promised to self as he prepared to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers once again. He was determined to rewrite the story, but locking LeBron was hard. What we saw next was a brutal stretch from 2015 to 2017: back-to-back playoff exits, relentless media heat, and even “death threats” from angry fans. The matchups were draining, and the heartbreak and humiliation were worse. But the former Atlanta Hawks player didn’t hesitate but chose to mic drop on what makes LeBron the undisputed King.

The Dan Patrick Show became the stage, as Jeff Teague dropped: “LeBron’s my favorite player all the time,” but what came next was admission. “So I’ve never beat him in a playoff series. Like, never won a game. So I got, like, PTSD from playing against him a little bit.” The fear turned phobia, but stemmed a new belief, “But he’s still my favorite player all the time,” he added. Back in the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, the 4x NBA champion averaged 30 points per game to sweep the Atlanta Hawks.

Despite the former Hawks player’s desperate bid to shift the tide the next season, his team was swept yet again in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Frustration boiled over, and in a rare moment of raw emotion, the brain fumbled. He shoved LeBron James during a game, enough to push it into a brutal moment. Social media exploded, and he found himself bombarded with death threats on X, formerly Twitter. Battling LeBron wasn’t just tough, but it was unforgiving on every level.

“I got a lot of slack and a lot of pushback from some guys because I pushed them into the crowd one time, because we were losing. I was a sore loser. And I got a couple of death threats,” Teague recalled the harrowing mess. Earlier in the Club 520 podcast, Teague even revealed that the time James had told him that he had “figured” them out. It was during the All-Star Game in 2015.

It didn’t take long for Teague to figure out what James had meant by his comment. He recalled how James made it difficult for him. While it might not have been James’ intention to make the experience traumatizing for Jeff Teague, it just happened! Perhaps it’s the same for his other rivals.

Why does Mario Chalmers think that players are not afraid of LeBron James? 

Well, many players like Mario Chalmers believe that there is no fear surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers veteran. Chalmers, who played alongside LeBron James and won two NBA championships with him, is likely well aware of one or two things about the veteran’s playing style. So, when asked to choose between James and Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate, Chalmers picked the latter. 

He pointed to this one specific quality he believes Jordan possesses that LeBron James does not. However, he went on to praise James for being physically gifted and skilled. “There was a different stigma that came with playing against MJ. That’s just not the same with Bron,” he told Dwight Howard on Above The Rim with DH 12.

On the other hand, Draymond Green, who is wary of LeBron James’ future after the Lakers’ $10B sale and has faced James multiple times, tells a different story. He recalled that several players are indeed intimidated by LeBron. In fact, he added that some of his own teammates are still afraid of him. “I know a bunch of people who were and still are in fact terrified of LeBron James. Like, I’ve seen it. At times I’ve had teammates that were terrified of LeBron James,” he once said.

Well, whether he intends to or not, the Lakers’ veteran often ends up intimidating his opponents.