Euroleague legend and former NBA player on LeBron James: "He’s like a little girl"
The Macedonian Pero Antic won the continental club's highest trophy three times and played a couple of seasons with the Atlanta Hawks.
LeBron James has not always enjoyed the support of fans throughout his career. His arrival in the NBA under the label of Michael Jordan's successor already raised doubts among some of the public even before his debut. His early years in Cleveland, failing to secure the championship he sought, fueled criticism of his athletic abilities.
The situation partially changed in the summer of 2010 when James decided to leave the Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. The event known as The Decision sparked numerous grievances and led many fans to celebrate his losses with the Heat and downplay his role in the titles won in 2012 and 2013.
The return to Cleveland changed his image
LeBron's return to Cleveland and the championship won in 2016 against the mighty Golden State Warriors helped restore his image among many fans. Moreover, those years coincided with one of the best moments of his career, to the point that his performances on the court made it difficult to find arguments to question him.
However, his recent seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers have again generated criticism. Some fans believe that James is prolonging his career with the aim of continuing to accumulate individual records, a perception that has brought him back into the public eye.
Antic: "LeBron ruined the NBA in a way"
Criticism of James does not only come from anonymous fans. There are also basketball figures who have publicly shown their lack of sympathy for the player. The latest to do so is Pero Antic, a former Macedonian player who won three Euroleagues and played two seasons in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks, from 2013 to 2015.
Antic appeared on Jao Mile's podcast, where he was emphatic when discussing LeBron and the comparisons made between the Lakers player, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant.
"I can’t watch the NBA anymore. They compare him to Jordan and Kobe. How? It’s like a little girl: she is always asking for something, then she flops and complains. LeBron ruined the NBA in a way. That’s my opinion," he explained.
The former Macedonian player also provided two specific examples of decisions by James that he disagrees with. "Oh, I’m going to chase the scoring title on purpose so that no one ever catches me. Oh, I want my son to play with me. That’s not how things are supposed to be," he noted.
The memory of a playoff confrontation
Antic and LeBron also featured in a highly publicized play during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015, where the Cavaliers swept the Hawks 4-0.
In one of the plays, Antic fouled LeBron as the Cleveland player attempted a dunk over the European center. Antic used his arms to prevent James from reaching the rim and caused him to fall to the ground.
The referees reviewed the action and ended up calling it a flagrant foul. A decision that the commentators during the game disagreed with. "I think it’s a good playoff foul," they said during the broadcast.
"I don’t want you to dunk on me and then showboat"
Asked if he had the same opinion about LeBron then as he does now, Antic did not hesitate to acknowledge it.
"Of course. I wouldn’t have pushed him to the ground if it weren’t the case. I don’t care. I don’t want you to dunk on me and then showboat in my face," said the former Hawks player.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Leyenda de la Euroliga y ex NBA, sobre LeBron James: "Es como una niña pequeña"
