LeBron James’ ‘unguardable’ claims in Michael Jordan pickup game quashed by former champion

A teenager LeBron James had squared off against NBA stars at a pickup game featuring Michael Jordan in Chicago.

LeBron James’ ‘unguardable’ claims in Michael Jordan pickup game quashed by former champion

Antoine Walker was playing in a pickup game with LeBron James and Michael Jordan

LeBron James‘ consistent elite play over the past twenty-two seasons has seen him enter the GOAT conversation alongside Michael Jordan. The Akron native has lived up to the hype that was created when he was in high school.

In those days it was common for several basketball players to play in pickup games during the offseason. In one of those games, a teenager LeBron James turned up and decided to play against the then NBA stars. That game also featured Michael Jordan, and the tales of that game have become legendary.

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On one hand, James himself claimed that he was ‘unguardable’. Those claims piqued everyone’s interest as they want to know what happened between the two GOATs. But one former player who was at that game believes the events were different.

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He wasn’t unguardable. He got to play at the end of the run. One thing that is true is that he was able to hold his own. You could see the potential. But as far as dominating, that wasn’t the case.

Antoine Walker said

Antoine Walker clarified respected trainer Tim Grover was organizing that pickup game. His policy is to first allow paying clients to take to the floor. That meant LeBron James had to wait until the end to get going.

The former champion also added that by the time LeBron James came in, he was facing players who had already played a few rounds. Although the young James did show potential, it was nothing like what has been claimed.

LeBron James did not play against Michael Jordan

Going by what Antoine Walker revealed, it seems the theory is true that LeBron James did not actually play against Michael Jordan. The six-time champion was one of the first to take the floor. Being a paying client, he played first.

Since Walker claims James came in towards the end, that means there is a high chance he did not face Jordan. The now 40-year-old had confirmed this in his biography, ‘LeBron’. Along with that, that biography also clarified that James faced off against Jerry Stackhouse and Walker.

But the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s ‘unguardable’ claim on the New Heights podcast threw fans into a frenzy. They thought he dominated against His Airness. However, he did mention Michael Jordan was there, but never said he played against him.

Since there is no documented proof of that famous pickup game, basketball fans have to accept whatever those present recall about the game. With Walker’s claims, it can be quashed that LeBron James did not actually dominate against NBA stars.

Lakers star played with broken wrist

Another former champion, Meta Sandiford-Artest was one of the players in that game. He revealed that LeBron James did show what the hype surrounding him was all about. He felt the then teenager had showed everyone that he was NBA ready at that young age.

That claim does not explicitly state that the now four-time champion had dominated. Maybe, Sandiford-Artest saw enough to believe that James was NBA ready. That is because there was another claim of the Akron native playing with a still healing broken wrist.

Tim Hardaway Sr. recalled that the then St. Vincent-St. Mary star entered the game after having a cast removed recently. But the way he launched off the line showed that James was not afraid of contact and wanted to prove his worth.

He apparently jumped off from near the free throw line to go for a dunk. That showed them how incredibly athletic the then teenager was. James at the time was still growing and developing into his body. But that did not deter him from going for it against NBA vets.