LeBron James fans are sure to be very upset with the opinion of former NBA player Austin Rivers, who gave a blunt assessment of where he believes LeBron ranks as a scorer among the all-time greats he’s seen. Austin, son of NBA coach Doc Rivers, had a decent career, but his opinions as a podcaster has elevated his visibility and ticked off some people.
Austin Rivers Leaves LeBron James Off Top 5 NBA Scorers He’s Seen List
Rivers says the best scorers he’s seen are Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson. He also says he’s not enamored with the aesthetics of LeBron’s game and says the NBA’s all-time scoring champion, doesn’t have half of Durant’s bag.
“LeBron is number one [in scoring], but his game doesn’t match a prototypical scorer. It’s also not sexy. LeBron’s game is built on force, sheer will, dedication, his mind, his IQ, the way he is able to dissect and control a game, and power, above anything else. He wills himself to the basket. Now, you have to give the guy credit. As he’s gotten older, he’s become a better jumpshooter. It’s crazy that he’s going to retire the best jumpshooter he’s ever been…For instance, LeBron has scored more points than Kevin, but Kevin can score in a much bigger variety of ways than LeBron. You can argue with the wall, but that’s just the truth. LeBron doesn’t have half the offensive bag that Kevin has…I would say Kevin [Durant], Carmelo [Anthony], James Harden, Kobe [Bryant], Michael [Jordan], and [Allen] Iverson are the best scorers I’ve ever seen.”
LeBron James Fans Eviscerate Austin Rivers
Needless to say, LeBron James fans came for his neck and immediately started roasting his NBA career, where after peaking in college, he’s averaged 8.5 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 707 NBA regular-season games.
“Austin Rivers give up podcasting & your pointless opinions. Your game never transitioned to the NBA, you would have been out of the league sooner if it wasn’t for Doc. Nobody f**d w/you in the NBA, that’s why you always sound like a bitter female when you state your opinions,” said one fan with the eyes covering his face emoji added at the end for emphasis.
One fan quoted Rivers and then blasted him for leaving out key elements of his argument.
“The best scorers are only the players that take a lot of low percentage shots and make them more than most other players” – Austin Rivers
No mention of consistently creating easier shots for yourself being a factor here. Just making contested fadeaways and cool moves matter,” the fan added.
Another fan came to LeBron’s defense: “We’ve lost the plot. Scoring is putting the ball into the hoop. Whoever does that at the highest rate, the most, is the best scorer. Everything else is simply showmanship.”
Some NBA fans couldn’t understand what Rivers was aiming at with a take that diminishes the all-time scorer in NBA history’s “bag.”
“What way can LeBron not score in???,” asked one fan.
“ah fr i genuinely never understood this narrative especially when mfs talk about early lebron. you watch games from back then you’d see he was scoring on all 3 levels. wasn’t as efficient outside the paint as he is now ofc but he was 10x the shooter giannis is even back then,” said another fan dismissing any shooting comparisons between Bron and Greek Freak.
“Please tell/show me one of those “variety of ways” that KD can score that Bron can’t,” said another fan of the four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP.
LeBron James Isn’t Pretty: He’s The Model Of Consistency
Crediting LeBron James’ accumulation of all-time records to him playing 20 seasons doesn’t do the kid from Akron justice. And when it is delivered by someone such as Rivers, it is seen as hating or a clout chase. However, Rivers wouldn’t be the first person to describe James’ game as lacking fluidity and grace at times. Although the way LBJ flew through the air in his early seasons was poetic in nature and monumental in impact.
These kinds of arguments will continue to dominate podcasts and debate television and captivate fans who want to argue in favor of their players and demean others, even if they have no real knowledge of that player.
Some NBA Fans Agreed With Austin Rivers Comment About LeBron’s Skills Bag Being Limited
“Yeah he is Karl Malone 2.0,” said one fan, suggesting that LeBron is no more than a stat compiler, as Malone finished his career second all-time in history to Kareem Abdul-Jabar, before LeBron surpassed both.
“He’s kinda right but I rather have a super efficient way to score than 10k less efficient ways to score,” said one fan appreciating Rivers’ comments while also favoring James’ less fancy efficiency over a bag.
With the infusion of international Euro-ball culture into the NBA and the rise of international players to NBA MVP status such as Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and the 2025 NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander, there is a heavy emphasis on how “skilled” a player is or how he looks when he’s scoring his points. There’s a certain style that scouts and organizations want that has trickled down to younger fans and how they perceive the game. It’s all about offense, and not just how many points you score, but the manner in which you score them.
