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Former Lakers center Kwame Brown calls LeBron James a ‘stat sheet junkie’

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated25 May 2023

Former Lakers center Kwame Brown calls LeBron James a stat sheet junkie

Former Los Angeles Lakers center Kwame Brown believes LeBron James is a “stat sheet junkie.” Brown was quick to call out the 19-time All-Star after the Denver Nuggets swept Los Angeles in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.

“If I had a LeBron James jersey, I’d be burning it right now,” Brown said. “If I had a LeBron James jersey it would be on fire right now. … I must say, the bust is upset. … I discovered, LeBron, you not that, bruh. I’m sorry.”

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Lakers had second-shortest odds to win the championship before losing Game 2 against Denver of the WCF. Sportsbooks continue to show the Nuggets as the odds-on favorite.

“I can’t hate to say it; you’re a stat sheet junkie,” Brown added. “You a bad boy when it comes to stats. Throughout history, the little nerds are gonna look up your stat line, and they gonna say ‘He’s gotta be the greatest player to ever play the game.’ And people who actually play are gonna know that is bulls—t.”

The Lakers made the playoffs after starting the season 2-10. However, LeBron James dropped to 10-2 in career conference finals series after losing to Denver. His only other conference finals series loss came against the Orlando Magic in 2009 while he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So, it’s true. James holds a lot of records. In the Lakers’ 133-130 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 7, the four-time MVP became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387). James went on to finish the season with 38,652 points.

Former Lakers center Kwame Brown believes LeBron James’ fans are saying ‘He’s gotta be the greatest player to ever play the game,’ says “people who actually play are gonna know that is bulls—t”

Does Kwame Brown have a point? LeBron James has a 12-9 series record after losing Game 1, and his 12 wins are the most by any player in NBA history. The 20-year veteran also has 15 30-point triple-doubles in his playoff career, the most in league history.

James leads Oscar Robertson (8), Russell Westbrook (6), Nikola Jokic (5), James Harden (3), Stephen Curry (3), Luka Doncic (2), and Jimmy Butler (2). Has James had as much success with the Lakers in the playoffs compared to the regular season? Not really.

Since defeating the Miami Heat in six games of the 2020 NBA Finals, James has disappointed a number of fans. Including the Lakers’ 108-103 loss to Denver in Game 2 of the WCF, the forward had missed 19 straight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter dating back to Game 2 of the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this postseason.

It’s the longest streak by any player over the last 25 postseasons. James missed all six of his 3-point attempts in Game 2 against Denver. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, and two blocks in 41 minutes of action. James shot 9-of-19 (47.4%) from the floor and 4-of-4 (100%) at the foul line.

Furthermore, over the last 25 years, the future Hall of Famer has played in 12 conference finals. That’s more than the Lakers (10), Spurs (10), Celtics (8), Heat (8), Warriors (6), Cavaliers (6), Pacers (6), Pistons (6), Mavericks (4), Suns, (4), and seven other teams. But fans have criticized James for being 4-6 in career NBA Finals series.

James won an NBA-record 41st playoff series after the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games of the conference semifinals as well. He passed Derek Fisher (40), Robert Horry (39), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (37), and Tim Duncan (35). James is 3-0 in conference finals Game 7s.

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