There have been many players in NBA history who are considered to be great. But only a noted few have forced their way into the GOAT debate. These individuals were so ruthless that people were scared to face them in crucial games. Michael Jordan would terrify players because of his mentality. Jordan’s stories of having imaginary beef with players just to fire himself up are as crazy today as they were in his time. However, a former teammate of LeBron James has boldly admitted that the King didn’t have the fear factor that MJ exuded.

The iconic story of the late great Kobe Bryant running through his LA Lakers teammate, Pau Gasol’s chest during the Redeem Team’s Olympic era solidifies his case for being a feared and revered competitor. However, James’ claim to that title remains up for debate among peers.

Former teammate claims nobody feared LeBron James

LeBron James and Mario Chalmers played together for the Miami Heat. Chalmers stayed with the Heat from 2008-2015 and won 2 NBA Championships. The 2008 NCAA Champion was on the In Shambles podcast recently, where he talked about players who transformed the culture of the league, his ex-teammate James being one of them.

While talking about the importance of being the team leader, Chalmers compared James to Scottie Pippen. He said, “Pippen couldn’t take them [his team] to the finals, but Bron did. So that’s why Bron is better than Pippen in that regard”.

Chalmers listed out his four culture-changing figures (later made it 5) in the NBA. He said, “We’ve had like 4 culture changers in the NBA. Jordan, Bron, Kobe, and AI”. He extended his list to 5, adding Stephen Curry after it was pointed out by the host. However, Chalmers made a startling claim after that that may stun NBA fans.

While addressing LeBron James’ dominance in the league, the 36-year-old said, “Nobody fears Bron. Nobody’s like, damn! I gotta go play against LeBron.“ The former Miami Heat player admitted that he’s not quite sure why that’s the case, however, he’s quite certain that his remark is a fact.

On the other hand, while talking about Jordan, Chalmers added, “You hear everybody in that era going against Jordan, there’s a fear!” Incidentally, Chalmers had called LeBron a Bi*ch during his stint with the Heat amid a heated altercation. He also addressed that issue during the conversation.

Whether this is coming from a place of jealousy or something else cannot be confirmed. But it definitely is a bold take by an ex-teammate of one of the greatest basketball players in history.

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Michael Jordan was feared, but Kobe was not

Isaiah Rider is a former basketball player and the 2001 NBA Champion. In a career spanning over 8 years, Rider crossed paths with both Jordan and Bryant. In 2021, he made a claim that the Mamba wasn’t as feared at the time as His Airness was. He said, “Kobe, I didn?t have that fear. Michael would have me on: You better bring your A game.” We all know how Bryant transitioned from his early days and became one of the greatest ever in the game.

Even though Rider gave his personal opinion, he retired in 2001 and never had to face the Kobe Bryant we remember today.

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