Which 90s superstar do you get reminded of when you see LeBron James? Most would say Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan for the greatness that the King has achieved over the decades. However, when it comes to play style, former New York Knicks superstar Charles Oakley has only one person in his mind, who you might have never heard of. After this unexpected comparison, if you take a look at the commonalities between James and Oakley’s former teammate, we can understand why the Knicks star made such a case. Who is the former NBA veteran that Oakley is speaking about? 

As a power forward, James has played point for several teams throughout his career, since his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and even today for the Los Angeles Lakers. This is something that many forwards in the league cannot do. Also, when it comes to fast breaks or a quick move to the basket, no one has been better than the 4x champion. The last time Oakley saw someone like that was his former teammate Anthony Mason, who passed away in 2016. 

In an interview, Oakley was asked who reminded him of Anthony Mason, and he replied, “LeBron as far as getting up and down the court.“ Mason was a key playmaker for the Knicks from 1991-1996. He played alongside legends like Oakley and Patrick Ewing and earned his respect for his quickness despite being 6’8 and 255 pounds. Also, if you notice, James has a very similar physique of 6’9 and 250 pounds. 

Oakley added, “LeBron is fast. I knew Mase was fast. So if they ran a 40, that would be a great thing.“ Mason was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1995 during his time with the Knicks. He had a career average of 10.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, which is not a stat line that James has. Yet when it comes to playstyle, the two are very similar. This observation was not only made by Oakley but also by a former New Jersey Nets star. 

Who compared LeBron James with Anthony Mason before Oakley? 

Only the stars who have played with Mason understand the similarities between him and James. One such player was Kenny Anderson, who played with Mason during his time for the New Jersey Nets. Mason’s first season in the NBA was with the Nets. He played there for just one season, but it was enough for Anderson to find out how good he was. 

Anderson was asked who reminded him of Mason in the modern NBA and he replied, “You gotta say LeBron James…He’s like 6’8”, built, he can rebound, he can play the point, he can play the two, the three, the four, he can probably play the five.” 

The above interview was from March 2023. Now more than a year later, the comparisons have sparked again. One would have certainly liked a game between the two, but sadly he passed away in 2016 at the age of 48 due to heart failure. 

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