NBA Champion Has Strong Words For LeBron James After Recent Debate

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NBA Champion Has Strong Words For LeBron James After Recent Debate originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

One player has seemingly been more criticized than any other in NBA history, and some of those criticisms are far from true.

Coming into the 2022-23 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sat on top of the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 38,387 points throughout his legendary career. Just three years later, and he is nowhere near the league’s newest all-time leading scorer.

LeBron James famously broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record during that 2023 campaign, and he has only continued to add to his incredible totals. After finishing his 22nd season in the league, James now sits at 42,184 points.

Despite his clear ability to put up points in bunches, James has rarely been put in discussions about the best scorers in NBA history. While it seems like a clear oversight to leave out the league’s all-time leading scorer in those discussions, it has led to an even more disrespectful conversation.

Along with discrediting James’ ability as an all-time great scorer, critics have also said he doesn’t have a bag, saying his lack of go-to moves makes him less worthy of those conversations.

Apr 17, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) points to the other end of the court after a foul is called against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Target Center. The Grizzlies won 91-84. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images© Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

That take, of course, sounds ridiculous to many, including some who have had to match up with the four-time MVP. 2008 NBA champion Tony Allen complimented James’ array of moves and clutch abilities on Run It Back on FanDuel TV before ending his argument with a simple message.

“What type of bag do I really need if I got 40,000 points?”

The six-time All-Defensive team member had no issues talking about James’ greatness as a scorer. Of course, Allen had first-hand knowledge of how tough James is to guard.

Kobe Bryant once said that Allen was the toughest defender he ever faced. And if a defender who garners that much respect from an all-time great says LeBron has a bag, it’s difficult to argue otherwise.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.

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