LeBron James's interview on The Pat McAfee Show hasn't even aired yet, and it already has McAfee's ESPN colleagues up in arms.
A clip from the upcoming show was released on Wednesday night's SportsCenter, hosted by Scott Van Pelt, in which James, in an attempt to push back on the idea that today's NBA stars would struggle in earlier, more physical eras of basketball, made a very audacious statement.
"You trying to tell me Giannis [Antetokounmpo] wouldn't be able to play a NBA game in the 70s? Giannis Antetokounmpo would have 250 points in a game in the 70s. 250."
We don't have the full context for the statement, and clearly James is exaggerating, but First Take panelist Chris "Mad Dog" Russo fired back in the other direction, saying that Antetokounmpo wasn't in the "same ballpark" as 70s NBA legend Julis Erving.
"To LeBron: Has he heard of Julius Erving? Giannis is not as good as Julius Erving. If Julius Erivng, who was on the Sixers in the 70s... Do you think Julius Erving scored 250 points in a game or averaged 50 a game?
"Here's what I want you to do, LeBron. I want you to go take a peak at the '77 Trail Blazers. You go watch [Bill] Walton, and you go watch Mo Lucas play in the front court. Mo Lucas, who wouldn't take nonsense for nobody. The first time that Giannis would go in the lane, he would be knocked on his rear end. ... Let me see Giannis against that team, let me see him go average 50 points a game. You know what? Julius didn't. He lost to that Portland team in the NBA Finals, embarrassed. ... And Giannis is not Julius Erving, not in the same ballpark."
Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo on LeBron James' comments that Giannis would score 250 points in a game if he played in the 70s: "Has he heard of Julius Erving? Giannis is not as good as Julius Erving... he's not in the same ballpark. Julius Erving's a top 12 player in the history of the… pic.twitter.com/s5OugeijBy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 26, 2025
Russo, of course, loudly noted that the 70s is his "era," which underscores the entire debate here, and really, the never-ending series of debates across NBA eras. James believes he and Giannis are playing in the most competitive time in basketball history, with the influx of incredible international talents, seven-footers with guard skills and, of course, the three-point shot. Russo thinks the physical, center-oriented games that he saw in the 70s was a more pure version of the game.
And the truth, of course, likely lies somewhere in the middle.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chris Russo Lambastes LeBron James's Take on 1970s Basketball With Dr. J Anecdote.
