© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Gilbert Arenas shares why LeBron James is not as feared in the NBA as Michael Jordan
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The fear that Michael Jordan would strike into the hearts of his defenders is the stuff of legend. Back in the day, hardly anybody dared to even talk to the Chicago Bulls icon, as Jordan had a reputation for making defenders pay for every slight—real or imagined. Fast forward to today, and one question that Gilbert Arenas recently discussed on his podcast is why LeBron James isn't as feared or revered in the NBA as His Airness was.
Lethal scorer
According to the former NBA All-Star, LeBron—although he's the all-time scoring leading of the league—doesn't have the reputation of being the lethal scorer that Jordan was.
In his playing days, MJ was known to rack up points with reckless abandon, crushing the spirit of his opponents with every made basket. Jordan, as well as Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, said Arenas, didn't simply beat down opponents with an avalanche of points, but also with the way in which they scored.
"The fear comes from what that person's capability is as an offensive player. So, Michael Jordan was feared. Allen Iverson was feared. Kobe (Bryant) was feared. Guys who have the ability to score 30 to damn 70 points, they're feared," said Arenas, while his co-hosts also added the names of Steph Curry and Damian Lillard to the list.
All-around player
LeBron, on the other hand, possesses otherworldly all-around skills that allow him to contribute in nearly every facet of the game. Whether it's scoring, rebounding, passing, or overall playmaking. He's one of the most complete players in the game and has been since his debut in 2003.
"LeBron James was an all-around player. Even though he gave you 40, it wasn't the same 40," remarked Arenas.
"I'm not afraid of a guy who's gonna give me 29/9/9, I'm afraid of a man who's gonna go for 60 if I'm not careful."
