In the interview, Shumpert also said he doesn’t believe he’s ever seen a better athlete than James.
In an interview on The Bootleg Kev Show, NBA free agent Iman Shumpert spoke on his former teammate LeBron James and alluded to one of the criticisms that has followed him throughout his career. The two were teammates on the Cavaliers and won an NBA title together with the team in 2016.
Shumpert believes James is the best athlete to ever live because of his presence on and off the court. When asked what he thinks the biggest misconception on James is, he said the criticism he received for his Finals losses and his flopping.
Shumpert explained that he didn’t think James’s losses in the Finals were a direct result of his play, but he went into detail on his former teammate’s approach when it came to trying to get some calls on the court.
“The worst thing we had against LeBron is, ‘Bro why you flopping?’” Shumpert said. “And literally he start flopping because he like, ‘Bro I got to get these free throws if these people getting free throws.’ He’s like, ‘Bro I’m really getting hit.’ So he’s like ‘I’ll sell it for you since they can’t see it because I’m so strong y’all can’t see me getting fouled.’”
The argument that James and other players flop because they’re too strong isn’t a new one, but it doesn’t mean it’s not true. Still, being too strong for everyone on the court seems like a good problem to have.
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