Through his first 14 years in the league, LeBron James has been arguably the best player in the league.
When a player of James’ caliber comes in, however, along comes the criticism and hatred toward superstar players for their shortcomings or simple dislike. During an appearance on Fox Sports One “Undisputed,” veteran forward Matt Barnes snap back on all the disdain thrown toward James.
You can never downplay his ability,” said Barnes. “People get caught up so much in hating on LeBron James instead of sitting back and realizing you’re witnessing history. He is going to be one of the best players to ever do it.
James has put forth an illustrious first 14 years in the NBA that has seen him win three NBA championships, three NBA Finals MVP awards, four regular season MVP awards, 13 All-Star Game selections, 13 All-NBA team nods, and five All-NBA Defensive First Team selections.
The 32-year-old is also coming off his seventh straight NBA Finals appearance and arguably his best individual season of his career. James is a unique talent with the blend of size, speed, strength, high basketball IQ, and leadership ability.
It has often come to be the case with his critics to point toward his shortcomings such as his 3-5 record in the NBA Finals as a strike against him, especially in the discussion of comparing him to Michael Jordan. However, the fact that he was able to reach that stage of the playoffs on that many occasions should not be overlooked either.
That said, regardless of what James does over the rest of his career, he will continue to face criticism for anything he does on and off the court.
