Parsons agreed with Chalmers that there are scarier one-on-one matchups than James.
It seems that LeBron James is not the most fearsome offensive player. Chandler Parsons recently shared his two cents about the matter in an appearance on the “Run It Back” show. Discussing Mario Chalmers’ recent comments, the retired forward shared that guarding Kevin Durant struck fear into his heart more than when defending LeBron.
“When I was playing, I feared guarding Kevin Durant more than I feared guarding LeBron James just because of his ability to score in iso, the way he can break you off,” Parsons said. “The way you can play great defense, he can shoot over you. LeBron is more passive. He gets off by making the extra pass. He’s less aggressive.”
Who’s fearing who?
The former second-round pick’s remarks came on the heels of Chalmer‘s “Nobody fears Bron” quip. Asked by the show’s host if he’s buying it, Parsons replied that there are even harder one-on-one matchups than James. And while Rio made his statement on LeBron after being asked to compare LeBron and Michael Jordan, Parsons went a different route by bringing KD into the conversation.
Of course, what Parson said has merits. After all, Durant is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the NBA. He can score from anywhere on the court and shoot over opponents because of his length and efficiency.
Interestingly, the former MVP has taken his game to the next level, converting a career-high 56.6% of his field-goal attempts this season.
Unfortunately, injuries have prevented Durant from being on the court more. Otherwise, he could have had a real shot at catching up to LeBron in the all-time scoring record list.
Not hating on Bron
Parsons did clarify that his and Chalmers’ comparisons are not a knock on James.
“Let’s not get it twisted,” the 34-year-old said. “There’s fear when you see this man coming downhill at you, or even when you’re going for a layup, you know he’s coming behind you to block your layup off the backboard. There’s fear. I think Mario just meant like MJ, Kobe [Bryant], KD, even like Steph [Curry], these guys try and go at your neck at the iso every single time.“As James has shown throughout his career, his killer instinct is not predicated on his desire to put the ball in the basket himself. Instead, he is focused on looking for the best shot possible, even if that means making the extra pass.
That lack of scoring aggression is a huge reason many folks around the league are not keen on anointing LeBron as GOAT. Apparently, that’s also why some opponents aren’t scared of facing the future Hall of Famer on the court.
