‘I Knew Then’: Gilbert Arenas Reveals His Prediction About LeBron James From His Early Years

After declaring for the 2003 NBA Draft, everyone predicted LeBron James to be the next all-time great. He declared directly from high school and entered the draft as an 18-year-old.

Right from his initial years, he took the league by storm. That’s when three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas made a prediction about LeBron. He revealed this prediction to analyst Shannon Sharpe during a recent interview.

Arenas said, “He’s gonna go down as Top 3 or 4, greatest of all-time, and never tap into his real ability. He doesn’t have to. That’s how dominant this man is gonna be that he’s never gonna have to tap into 100% of what is in that body. I watched something that I didn’t see and it came from an 18 or 19-year-old kid.

“So what everybody’s hearing now, I knew then. He knows everything that’s going on, on that court. He knows where everyone’s supposed to be, he knows if the player’s real or fake.”

LeBron James fulfills Gilbert Arenas’ prediction

Arenas knew that James would be a future great from their matchups. During his prime, Arenas was one of the best scorers in the league. So when LeBron matched his own scoring, the former All-Star knew that the kid was special.

One of their most iconic matchups was Game 6 of the 2006 Playoffs. LeBron’s Cavaliers took on Arenas’ Wizards in what became an OT thriller.

Bron ended with 32 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Arenas had 36 points, five rebounds, and 11 assists. James and the Cavs ended up winning in OT and also won the series 4-2.

Almost two decades into his career now, LeBron has lived up to the hype, if not more. He has won four NBA titles, the most recent being the 2020 title, where he led the Lakers to their first title in ten years.

Opinions on where he stands in the GOAT conversation might differ, but irrespective of that, it is criminal to think he’s not in the top two or three of the best NBA players of all-time. Bron still has a few more years left in his tank and he will be doing his best to make the most out of them.

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