Rich Paul to LeBron: “If your athleticism went away you’d be Karl Malone” | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

[Music] live from New York it's the show that is celebrating the last day of brassard this week oh oh I think you see you later that made me nervous he load management uh well he said I tease LeBron so we can only take this so seriously let's take it 100. I think it's interesting yeah because I have as I've watched LeBron throughout his career and obviously Marvel at the great things he could do I've often said to myself and the others imagine Carl Malone doing the things LeBron does because they're the same size they are listed both of them at six nine 250. so imagine Carl Malone running the point leading the league in assists shooting threes guarding the opponent's point guard like all of that stuff that's what we're watching with LeBron James now here's the thing and again rich is partially joking but it sounds so disrespectful to the guy that is the third leading scorer ever to the guy that is the seventh leading rebounder ever yeah I would it's not you know what sounds better if LeBron had not had other worldly athleticism he would have still been called yeah but this is sometimes the truth hurts you know I don't know that it's the truth because LeBron's not the rebounder that's the only thing Malone's been uh Lebron is is like you said not the rebounder not doesn't like playing inside as much now I wish he did and maybe he would if he would it wasn't the athlete here no he could he should because it could it could it could take his game to a whole nother level I'll give you this finish this up sure at 41 40 41 42 he could be the late level Carl Malone I don't know the year before that Malone was like 20 and eight yeah for Utah all team that he led to the playoffs got bounced in the first round but that type of guy at 41-42 okay so LeBron's 38 right now he turns 39 in December of next year so you're talking about like three years yeah he's talking about a few years this is a little insulting telebron okay it's a little insulting salt them a little bit Rich Paul and here's why no not to Malone Karl Malone is I think most people would consider what without a doubt one of the 25 greatest ever and probably in the top 20 eats in but it's getting harder and harder as you know what I mean is a lot of people put jokic in the top 20 people whenever you put someone in someone falls out so I also don't think it's fair to do entire career comps or things like this be because Malone did play you know we saw the very end of Malone so here's what I've done here I would like to show you a blind reveal and I will give you a hint hold on I will this isn't we can show it to you but here is what is useful it is can we if we can put it up it is two years for both players it is Carl Malone's two MVP Seasons so arguably his best two seasons and it is LeBron's last two seasons arguably the worst LeBron yeah he is a better rebounder and that's it and so it is hard to find Brew it is hard to find the comps because magic we didn't see old magic we don't know what he would have turned in we're about we saw it yeah that was old after a four year left we didn't see old Larry really because he didn't his career didn't go on as long because his back went out on him we saw old Michael but that was again after a long layoff so it's not we haven't found the right guy the most similar to LeBron he probably it was it except for Malone and the point that I am making is old LeBron you're 19 and you're 20 LeBron wait a minute bro hold on a second how how can I what do you not want me to say that is impactful is MVP Carl yeah I'll say it I will say that through your argue what is the argument against it here's the argument against it you can't just throw up a bunch of numbers okay and say a guy is good I test he was going to win the scoring title is not nearly the defender right now that Carl Malone was as an MVP LeBron is obviously not the rebounder as you said he doesn't have the impact hold on LeBron and John Stockton would not have gotten to the finals twice like Carl Malone and here's the other thing the scoring in those years was much lower okay that's why you can't just throw up a bunch of numbers and say oh he's just as good no they're not not just with Malone and LeBron with players from different areas you can't just I know you I know you can't just do that but it is there is some contextualizing that has to be done but you can't totally Overlook you can say that Malone's defense is far better I don't think Malone's defense his second MVP year was far better than what LeBron did this year but that's fine his second MVP year was for the record 99 not they didn't go to the finals that year that was the the lockout year but set that aside and totally disregard that it is a 10-7 round in play making and passing that it is that's fine well that's a massive part of impact on a game and I how much impact is LeBron did LeBron have this past year he scored 40 in game four and they got swept yeah bro you you would say that as if that is an indictment on him it is just so and you know how great I think LeBron is it is so disrespectful to say this LeBron James we just watched is as good as Carl Malone is as an MVP and that like I said you can't just throw numbers how many points were teams scoring back then compared to what they're scoring now okay well I mean no so that was though late 90s was like the nadir of scoring in the league so you are correct on that front but do you do you think there is a huge gap it's a gap it's a much better Gap than those stats suggests okay well again why you can't just go upstairs let's just start Wilton say Wilson go then I mean we want to do some blind reveals let's just listen I tried to be as Fair as I could be I took Malone's best two seasons and I took LeBron's last two seasons but yeah you're relying only on stuff I'm not no no no it is not just about listening especially when you're compared to errors oh second year I am not relying just on staff you are no that is a part of the argument I can't put on the screen my feelings emotions thoughts we're doing that also Wilds I I thought Brew was a facts guy I mean so I tried to bring something brand did you bring what guys were did you bring what teams were scoring I know that time again I said it I don't know I do not have the per game number because when they were playing the Bulls in the finals I know they were scoring about 80 to 90 points correct now they're scoring 120 points and I'm not holding and I'm not even holding Malone's playoff stuff against him in this all I am saying is that we what we have seen from LeBron the last couple years I think Rich Paul is a hundred percent correct that if LeBron is more stationary and can do less as far as flying up and down the court well that was a big part of Carl Malone's game flying up and down the court getting those layups not late stage Malone but sure yeah early on that's fine but regardless do Brew do you not I feel like you've said this that if LeBron went to just being a traditional forward and and went there he could lead a team in scoring not control the offense and do that that sounds a younger LeBron and I mean he did it last year right right now too but he didn't have the impact that Carl Malone had in his Pro now if we're talking later Carl Malone fine I'm talking about and you threw up stats from Carl Malone in his pride threw upset from carmelon in 19. when he was going through Olajuwon when he was going through David Robinson and guys like that this LeBron we just saw could have done that they didn't even give jokets a series I understand or was it a close hold on no but that but again hold on just to be fair that is not what the 97 the audience doesn't care 97 and 99 he was not going through a lot of money he's not going through Robinson he was getting beat in 99 I Believe by the Spurs and in 90s so you're talking about later I'm talking about the two years he won MVP I'm talking about when he won MVP which was not in 1988 when he's flying up and down the court it's 97 and 99 that's 21 MVP you probably voted for him I'm just saying when he did it Josh has a stat thank you Josh yes still employed yeah the Jazz average less than 84 points in both finals well that's one of the playoff numbers what are we talking about Josh I love it was probably yeah that was where I was fair I didn't even include Carl Malone's eight percent for three points how many threes did he shoot not many but it was like 12. I don't even know if he shot 100 threes well he shouldn't if you're shooting eight percent exactly I I happen to agree with Rich You Know Rich would if Rich agreed with you he would have said I tease LeBron well he said you know what yeah even as not as athletic hold on wait a second he agrees with me because he is teasing him because it is insulting he's like I tease him like amen like he's knocking him that's what he's doing that's what that take was insulted to Carl Malone as great as LeBron is come on that's just disrespectful is it okay go ahead segment place in any era we'll find a way yeah we'll talk in Lebron uh LeBron's last three years we're gonna are you gonna give me any credit for what we're having the story before Rich uh yesterday that he was back I called you Walter I told you yesterday that he was back and you guys laughed at me I mean that happened yeah we did you laughed and then because like I said there's not an organism on the planet LeBron has played 180 games and missed 80 games so I know there's a lot of optimism coming from Rich but he's not exactly Cal Ripken the last few years also because Cal rip can play baseball yeah great point though wow about baseball well about the the injuries yeah I mean he's been he's been hurt and some of these games I would say he was less than less than 100 less than 75 go ahead bro uh I'm going to say despite your numbers three more years max four more years that's a lot right and the reason I'm saying three is because we know he wants to play with Brony so that would be true right and so maybe bronny we'll see if he comes out afterwards it's a minimum of two to have any shot of planes right so maybe he plays he comes if Ronnie comes in maybe as a after his junior year or three years from now LeBron maybe would have a ceremonial run with brining or something like that I don't even played a whole year but here's this is what I think is going to be the biggest challenge for LeBron not being the best player or even in the conversation on the floor his entire basketball and really football life he was the best player on the field or the court or at least in the conversation like now he's still in the conversation yep and so to go from that that's all you've known to go to being just kind of another guy out there I think that's going to be incredibly difficult but you you went through that directly what you brought that up it's tough it's not easy to do I belong here so that's what I think will be the biggest challenge for three three years so this is 20 years is interesting because the guys the all-time Legends who have played all-time legendary length of careers the ones I pulled are Kareem Kobe and Carl Malone once again they all had one thing in common they played three more years after they made their final all-nba team so if all NBA you know what I mean is a good barometer for are you occasionally are you still able to be the best player on the court on any given night even if you're not the best player on the court every night Kareem played three more years after that Malone played three more years after that Kobe played three more years after that so I don't again there's no LeBron the last two years each of the last two years with the Lakers averaged more points per game than he averaged at any point since he was 25 years old so like with him still being at this level 20 years in is not what any of us expected is not what even the most Ardent LeBron James supporters nobody thought that was going to happen if he just duplicates this past year next year where he's all NBA he's around 30 a game he suffers one injury plays call it around 60 games well if he plays 60 he won't be all NBA oh you're right I forgot about that I I do think there will be some type of injury sure the all NBA stuff but that's I guess a new qualifier but all NBA level yeah all NBA level like I don't because I agree I do not think LeBron is going to stick around if he is you know what I mean the eighth best guy on the court most nights but I don't we have seen a significant drop from Peak LeBron and then it is basically stayed there like I didn't see a drop between LeBron this year and LeBron last year I don't know if you did I thought it was a bet like that it wasn't impacting the game the way he once did but still was able to do it so I think I don't know man I feel like five years is not impossible I I this is a question does he even want would you what would he want to play that long I think a lot of it does depend on does he play with brawny yeah and is that fun for them like what we've talked about the downsides that all of that what if it goes the exact way he's envisioning it I'm going to play he's gonna be a budding you know guy they're invested in I'm going to help guide him we're going to be on a good team we're going to win if that happens then I think he'd probably be the most fun he's ever had in his life playing basketball I wonder how many you hear these stories of like hey when did you know you were done and a lot of guys don't say it's this long Arc it's like one moment like I tried to guard somebody and they cooked me and I knew I was done to see remember what we had that video is all the rookies saying they wanted to dunk on LeBron if he's got a Target on his back and guys are coming at him and he has a few times getting dunked on I think it would be more immediate than sort of long-term philosophical I'm done I remember the moment for Dr J I think Connor something dunked on him and that was it well it was it for me I said doc he's got to go yeah I think the next year let's take a look at the title odds Boston's still at number one also when's Jalen's deal coming by the way yeah that's right then Denver Giannis the sun's the heat with Dame even though he's not on the team yet the warriors with Chris Paul even though we're not sure that even works and then the Lakers so Nick are they underrated or overrated I mean you asked me these questions and it's a little insulting because uh you demanded the day after the NBA Finals I do a full project yeah you break out the algorithm to the whole thing and I gave you way too early title pie and we can show it to you again were they seventh on that no they were three also the Spurs used to have the Spurs at Point half percent yeah Brew I mean Bruce said women was gonna make Hakeem Olajuwon look like Sean Bradley America don't miss him so here's the reason it's too soon title pie I would right now have the Lakers fourth because I'd have the heater yeah because the heater I think they I think we all think they're getting Dame at some point so I would have the the Bucks the nuggets and the heat ahead of them I think it is you can make the argument for Phoenix I don't agree with it there is not an argument for the Warriors to be ahead of them it does not exist and the Celtics did so I think someone went to Vegas and put like 10 million all the Celtics and it had skewed the odds over the last few years yeah I gotta be honest and I agree with Nick I do think they're underrated at this point I now right now I'm going like Miami is doesn't have Dame all right I'm doing where it is right now I agree with you I would move them ahead of the Lakers as they get damn when they get Dame I got Denver number one Phoenix I do like Phoenix I think they had a great free agency I like them number two I think those three guys can fit together uh Bill uh Booker and Durant Milwaukee three Boston four oh and the Lakers five oh so you haven't the head of the Warriors you haven't jumping the Warriors yeah Warrior six Miami seven uh maybe I guess I'd go slightly underrated because I I've moved Miami ahead of him if they go about your clippers clippers aren't going to stay healthy I hate to say it it is what it is I'm facts over feelings now he's facts thanks for watching subscribe here to get more from the show and to check out clips from other shows on FS1

Channel: First Things First

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Keywords: NBA, Basketball, FIRST THINGS FIRST, LeBron James, LeBron, Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, Kevin Wildes, Los Angeles Lakers, Rich Paul, Klutch, karl malone, lakers, the association, eastern conference, western conference, sports show, sports debate, 2023 NBA offseason, NBA news, trade rumors, breaking news, trending news, 2023 NBA free agency, basketball, retirement, all time great, hall of famer

Id: NnO9r_aISS0

Length: 18min 13sec (1093 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 12 2023