Gilbert Arenas calls out double standards in LeBron James' expectations aged 40 compared to Michael Jordan: "Pretending like he's 20"

Gilbert Arenas criticized people for holding LeBron James to a different standard than Michael Jordan as a 40-year-old player. The former Washington Wizards star, who played with the six-time NBA champion and also faced the LA Lakers superstar as an opponent, voiced his discomfort with people trying to set unrealistic expectations for James.

A clip of his Gil's Arena show shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday shows Arenas debating co-host Rashad McCants and calling out the double standard fans have for James and Jordan.

"Nobody gave Michael Jordan --they didn't expect anything from him, they were just so happy to see a 40-year-old go out there and average 20 (points per game). Why (are) they putting so much effort on trying to tear LeBron down for just playing at 40. We're pretending that he's 20. We're pretending he's 22 or 23. He's expected to win the championship. He is 40! He's older than Shams (Charania)!" Arenas said.

On the other side, McCants said that considering his resume and the franchise he plays for, LeBron James is expected to deliver a championship regardless of his age. He even brought Kobe Bryant into the conversation.

"You came here when my man was still alive and he said 'Hey, you sure you're ready for this challenge? You're going to be expected to win every year.' So when you don't, how are we looking at you? We're not delivering!" McCants passionately said.

After winning their most recent NBA championship in 2020, the LA Lakers have tried to come back to the top of the league without success. They sit sixth in the Western Conference standings (20-16), but nothing suggests that they can make a deep playoff run this year.

LeBron James keeps showing he still got it with emphatic two-handed dunk

LeBron James is not your regular 40-year-old athlete or even person. The four-time NBA champion sent social media into a frenzy on Tuesday with a huge play against the Dallas Mavericks. After Rui Hachimura missed a 3-pointer James received the pass from Max Christie, attacked the rim and dunked the ball over a way younger Dereck Lively III.

Even though the Lakers were dominated by the Mavs 118-97, James starred in one of the biggest moments of the night. He finished that game with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes. LeBron James and the Lakers return to the court on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena.