2025 has certainly been a landmark season for Los Angeles Lakers megastar LeBron James.
On a nightly basis he becomes the first player over age 40 to accomplish various statistical milestones; The Lakers completed a universe-bending surprise trade in February which paired James with the NBA’s premier young talent in Luka Doncic; and James has enjoyed the rarest of sports feats in becoming teammates with his own son, Bronny James.
Over the course of his 21-year career, James has always been the subject of media scrutiny and controversy. He has experienced a love/hate relationship with much of the league’s fan base and pundits unlike that of any predecessor.
Yet, between James’ 10 NBA Finals appearances, three Olympic gold medals, becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and being one of the first athletes to have a net worth eclipsing a billion dollars, most of us thought we’d seen it all with James.
On Wednesday, however, James appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and unleashed more than an hour of mic-dropping quips, razor-sharp trash talk, vulnerable introspection, knee-slapping laughter, and combative analysis on the state of today’s NBA.
It was jarring. This was the league’s greatest player letting his hair down in a completely unfiltered way. James is notoriously private and one struggles to recall any hour-long segment of him just answering questions from a podcaster, let alone one this raw.
It was a podcast version of Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” documentary. James took the audience through his entire journey as a human being. He spoke of growing up in Akron. He detailed his infamous “Decision,” where he left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and bolted to Miami to form a deadly superteam with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He talked about his relationship with Lakers coach JJ Redick and detailed how he cares for his body as he approaches age 41.
James, who endures endless comparisons to Michael Jordan, spoke candidly about their distant relationship.
“I think it’s because I’m still playing,” James told McAfee. “We all know MJ. He’s one of the most ruthless competitors there is,” before adding that their distance will continue “until I’m done and he doesn’t have to look at me running up and down wearing the number 23, and every time my name is mentioned, it’s mentioned with his.”
James also spoke of the evolution of today’s game and athleticism, attacking pundits who claim today’s players are not as skilled as yesterday’s.
“Giannis Antetekounmpo would have 250 points in a game in the 1970s,” James said. “That’s no disrespect, but seriously.”
Most compelling was James’ destruction of ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. James confronted Smith courtside during a game on March 6, telling Smith to keep Bronny’s name out of his mouth. Video of the confrontation went viral. James- a hulking 6’9 and 260 lbs- looks as though he’s ready to deck the much smaller journalist.
Smith claimed on ESPN’s First Take he would not have even addressed the faceoff with James had the video of it not gone viral.
James told McAfee that Smith is lying.
“Are you kidding me?” James asked. “If there’s one person who couldn’t wait for the video to drop so you could address it, it’s your ass.”
James said Smith has been going on a “Taylor Swift-like tour” about the incident and loves the attention that comes with association with James.
“I know he’s gonna be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him,” James said. “He’s gonna get home and grab some ice cream in his tighty whities on the couch.”
The staple of the Jordan-is-greater-than-LeBron debate has always been the idea Jordan is more cutthroat while James is too passive, lacking Jordan’s killer instinct.
Now, though, James has removed the veil and shown us all a side of himself we’ve yearned for all along.
This is the version of LeBron James the NBA has always wanted. The version of him dressed in black, microphone in his hand, going full Katt Williams on everything and everyone.
James intimated to McAfee he might play several more seasons.
If this is the version of him we’re going to get, he may just turn the entire GOAT debate flat on its face.
