Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James is grabbing the attention of the sports world with his strong start to the 2023-24 NBA season at the age of 38, and pro wrestling icon Ric Flair is ready to fight any doubters the L.A. Lakers superstar man-to-man contest.
After Alan Hahn recently called James an old man, Flair, 74, told Shannon Sharpe he was ready to do some damage to the ESPN analyst.
James continues to play at an exceptionally high level in his 21st NBA season while also relishing proving his doubters wrong.
James was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He played in 15 games this season, averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, continuing to maintain his status as the league’s top player. He helped the Lakers to a 9-7 record, including a 4-0 record in the NBA Championship this season.
A former NBA player says James wants to win his first NBA trophy so he can add it to his credentials and be compared to Michael Jordan as the greatest player of all time. It’s rare to accomplish something that no other team has done before, but this new tournament does provide James and the Lakers that opportunity.
Flair, who has ties to Jordan’s home state of North Carolina, also said in his conversation with Sharp that he thinks James is the best player of all time.
In addition, former Lakers player Derek Fisher, who won five NBA championships with Los Angeles, said James’ greatness had a positive impact on young teammate Rui Hachimura.
Surprisingly, the superstar is averaging nearly 34 minutes per game, and the Lakers have said they are monitoring his workload more carefully this season. According to reports, this will eventually become a reality once the Lakers have a healthier roster.
James has only played more than 56 regular games once in his first five seasons with the Lakers, so his pace may slow down at some point. But even as critics seize on this, supporters like Flair are quick to back the NBA icon.