One can only imagine what the unknown experience of playing alongside LeBron James could be like. According to an NBA legend, not so good. As many of us might be aware, LeBron is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished and greatest players in the history of the game.
Although there is no denying James’ incredible play and impact, he has built an infamous reputation for himself in recent times. This is because LeBron has played a hand in roster changes multiple times throughout his career. This has even earned him a nickname, “LeGm.”
John Stockton is widely regarded by NBA veterans as one of the greatest point guards that the NBA has ever seen. He recently spoke out on what it would feel like to be LeBron’s teammate. Let us take a closer look at what he had to say.
John Stockton calls out LeBron James for his hand in team management
Many modern-day NBA fans will struggle to remember John Stockton. He spent his entire career with the Utah Jazz and retired after the 2002-2003 NBA season. Therefore, Stockton never really got to play against LeBron at any point in his career.
That did not stop him from calling out LeBron. The former Jazz star empathized with the perspective of being James’ teammate and called it maddening, “It’d be maddening as a teammate to know that you can be expendable for one of his guys that he thinks he needs to play with.“
John Stockton on LeBron’s involvement in front office decisions:
“It’d be maddening as a teammate to know that you can be expendable for one of his guys that he thinks he needs to play with.“
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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 24, 2023
It is very difficult to deny that the power LeBron has been given could make his teammates feel just that. Especially if they weren’t particularly productive or useful by his standards. Some fans might even remember fans taunting the Lakers during away games with chants of, “LeBron’s gonna trade you.” Therefore, there is no looking the other way in terms of how his teammates could potentially feel.
Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball are just some of the many players who will be able to testify to the LeGm effect. They will also likely agree with Stockton regarding the notion of feeling expendable when playing alongside LeBron James. Nonetheless, teams have usually catered to LeBron’s decisions and let him have a say simply because of who he is and the accolades of his career.
