One of the advantages of LeBron James having his own podcast is now he can pontificate on all things basketball, including the legacies of players he is either in direct competition with or has played with in his era.
What does LeBron James really think of his competitors and contemporaries?
James, speaking on the first episodes of his “Mind the Game” podcast, said both Iverson and Curry are odds-defiers to the point that he considers them as the most influential players in league history.
Of course Bron’s opinion is informed by the past 20 years since he exploded onto the scene in 2003, but his basketball knowledge and IQ has long been lauded as one of the highest ever, so hearing him explain his choices would be interesting to any basketball fan.
James said on the podcast that both Iverson and Curry defied the odds and explained just how influential they became.
LeBron James: “Steph and Allen Iverson are the two biggest influential guys in our game since I’ve been watching and covering it… Allen Iverson and Steph, they were just so relatable and kids felt like they could be them.”
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LeBron James Says Steph Curry & A.I. Most Influential NBA Players
There is no denying that Curry and Iverson are two of the most influential players in NBA history. In a more modern context, they might just be the most influential ones.
LeBron James said a decade ago that he considers A.I. to be the “pound-for-pound… greatest player who ever played.” He listed Iverson and Michael Jordan as his childhood idols back when he was with the Heat.
James mentioned Iverson’s impact on culture and NBA fashion and how his influence transcended the basketball court.
Iverson was the one who blew up arms sleeves and of course the cornrows, a cultural staple in the Black community, baggy clothes and his truck jewelry, was pushed into the face of the mainstream basketball fans and media. Iverson’s unapologetic Blackness was his calling card as he became the leading bridge between hip-hop and NBA culture, setting the foundation for players who came after him to walk in their truth and be expressive culturally, despite the pressures of a corporate existence.
LeBron James: “You got AI who’s like unbelievable crossover, cornrows, arm sleeve. Everyone wears arm sleeves now because of Allen Iverson and he’s going in the trenches, laying it up over bigs whatever the case may be.”
James even has a tattoo in Iverson’s honor.
Curry has changed the game forever with his long-range bombing from any spot on the court. His success as the most prolific shooter in NBA history, has literally caused a shift in how hoops is played at the grass roots level and clearly how teams build towards success in the NBA.
LeBron James: “And now you have Steph who’s shooting over the Empire State Building. Those two are the two most influential when you say the game, how they changed the game and the kids and those are two guys that you want to watch every single night.”
The fact that both Iverson and Curry are significantly smaller than their rivals and still prevailed, adds to the luster of their legacies. Their diminutive statures also make them more easily relatable to the common person. Especially once their ferociousness and killer instinct peeked through their million-dollar, baby face smiles.
Steph Curry Is 15-7 Against LeBron James In Playoffs: 3-1 In NBA Finals
Bron played Curry 22 times in the playoffs and Steph won 15 of those games, so Bron is speaking from experience. He dominated the NBA to a large extent, especially the Eastern Conference, going to 10 NBA finals, but as he enters the twilight of his career with the NBA All-Time scoring record in tow and his place among the icons, Bron has a chance to introduce his fan base to some other players who helped make the NBA what it is today. Whose impact on players, people and the game, inspired the young LeBron and the older LeBron James.
A good word for the King on what will be a wildly popular podcast can do wonders for the legacies of past superstars and game-changers, who can easily be forgotten in this social media moshpit we currently exist in.
