Due to LeBron James' longevity, he's had a chance to team up with a plethora of NBA players who have helped him win championships. One of those players is Mario Chalmers, who recently had a controversial take on his former teammate, comparing James to Michael Jordan.
On the "In Shambles" podcast, Chalmers discussed playing with James, the superstar who gave the Miami Heat two championships in the 2010s:
"Nobody fears Bron. Nobody's like, 'Damn, I gotta go play Bron.' Nobody said that. I don't know why, because I've seen people be scared when they actually line up to him. But they're not scared thinking about that matchup.
"You hear anybody from that era talking about going against (Michael) Jordan, there's a fear. So, when you have people that fear a player, then that's telling you something's different already. Jordan's just that guy, like everything's 'I wanna be like Mike.'"
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Chalmers was part of the Heat that assembled the Big Three in 2010. He became the full-time point guard of the squad in James and Chris Bosh's second season. Miami traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2015-16 season, and he was out of the league the following year.
In eight seasons with the South Beach team, Chalmers averaged 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Chalmers was also an efficient scorer, shooting 42.2%, including 36.0% of his 3-pointers.
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Chalmers is one of the players who doesn't fear LeBron James
LeBron James is one of the best players to ever step on an NBA court. His influence and legacy has changed the game and empowered players to take over their careers. Despite that, Chalmers doesn't fear the four-time champion and even had some tactless words for James.
During an early-season matchup against their conference rivals, the Indiana Pacers, LeBron's team struggled to keep up. While on a timeout, Chalmers had some words for James, which led the four-time MVP to show some aggression towards the point guard.
When asked about the incident that happened many years ago, Chalmers said:
"I said, 'Stop playing like a b**ch.' That's what I said. I didn't call him a b**ch."
Still, even though he didn't call LeBron that word, it still takes guts to call out the best player in your team.
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