Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James made a bold claim he was “unguardable” in the legendary pickup game with Michael Jordan in the early 2000s.
On Wednesday, January 15, James recalled that pickup game on the “New Heights” podcast hosted by the Kelce brothers — former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce.
“So when I finally was able to get on the court — first of all MJ, Antoine Walker, and the rest of those guys did not let young guys get on the court at all and I was 16 years old, I was sophomore high school and it takes a while to get on the court,” James told the Kelce brothers. “Usually when the older guys they get tired and they don’t want to play no more or they like whatever but I did and I was able to get on the court with Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway, Michael Finley and all these guys.”
Travis then asked, “Who guarded you?”
“Nobody, I was unguardable,” James replied. “I was busting [expletive]… I was nervous, but I was like, ‘I’m about to go crazy,’ and I did.”
Is There Truth to LeBron James’ Claim?
Yes, it was the truth.
James wasn’t lying.
Old podcast appearances of former NBA champion Metta World Peace recalling that legendary game have resurfaced which shed more light on how a young LeBron was dominant against NBA stars.
“[Michael] Finley was in there, [Jerry] Stackhouse was in there, a young LeBron was in there,” World Peace recalled the pickup game from his memory on a video posted on TikTok by the “Point God” podcast.
“Can’t guard him. He’s embarrassing us. He’s coming at full speed. I [hit him] laid him on the floor. He got up and started cooking more. He’s just tough.”
World Peace doubled down on that story in another appearance on Paul George’s Podcast P” podcast in May 2024.
“Everybody knew who he was,” World Peace said of James. “He was already famous. I’m like, I want to see what he got. He was cooking. He was 15 or 16 posting, getting to the basket and I’m like, ‘This is going to be a huge issue,’ you know, and for sure it was.
“When I saw that, it motivated me. I’m like, ‘I got to go to work.’ He coming into the league cooking. I was not like that when I was 15. … He could have gone pro right then honestly.”
It’s True But There Was One ‘Critique’
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith corroborated James and World Peace’s recollection of the event that transpired sometime around 2001, two years before James made the jump to the NBA from high school.
“I’ve heard the story on numerous occasions,” Smith said on the January 16 episode of the “First Take” on ESPN. “I’ve heard it was absolutely true he was unguardable. I saw a video of Metta World Peace talking about it. He was in attendance. He said it was absolutely true as well.”
“The only critique that I heard years later was, ‘Well yeah Stephen A., of course he did that. [But there] wasn’t pressure. [It] would have been a little bit different.
“All I’m saying is in the younger part of LeBron James career, pressure was an impediment. Certainly, it’s not that way now. The brother is all-world now but back in the day, you know pressure broke pipes.”
James had exceeded all expectations from him despite all the pressure that was attached to his “The Chosen One” moniker when he entered the NBA to catapult himself into the “Greatest of All Time” (GOAT) debate alongside Jordan.
