Feb 18, 2016; Spokane, WA, USA; NBA all star John Stockton looks during the game between the Pacific Tigers and the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA’s all-time assists leader is not too fond of the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton sparked attention this week for a blunt criticism of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. In a recent appearance on the DNP-CD Sports podcast, Stockton called out James for his supposed influence in front office decisions.
“I don’t know what it’s like to sit in that front office and have things [dictated] to you like a plan, and it appears that LeBron is,” said Stockton.
“I don’t know for sure that he is, but it appears so,” Stockton added. “I think it would 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. The iffiness it causes with the team, the iffiness that it causes upstairs. I don’t like it … I’m not a fan of it.”
The Utah Jazz legend Stockton, now 61, came from a very different era than James. He entered the NBA in 1984 and retired in 2003, right before James entered the league later that year and well before the modern era of player empowerment.
James is often the target of “LeGM” barbs, which might not be too far off-base given that his old buddies like JR Smith and Tristan Thompson have landed with the Lakers in recent years (on top of James’ reported efforts to recruit star players like Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to LA). While Lakers management strongly denies that James holds any such domineering influence, Stockton’s comments may be a sign of how James is perceived by the older NBA generation.
H/T HoopsHype
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