Earlier this year, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James recounted a story about playing in a pickup game when he was 16 that included Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
Other former NBA stars like Antoine Walker and Penny Hardaway were also allegedly on the floor.
LeBron James on the ICONIC pickup game he played with Michael Jordan when he was 16 years old:
“When I was finally able to get on the court… I was unguardable… I was busting a**… I was nervous, but I was like, ‘I’m about to go crazy,’ and I did.” 😳
(via @newheightshow) pic.twitter.com/ZY29IPniw2
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) January 15, 2025
James said that he was “unguardable” in that pickup game. He also said he was nervous being on the court with Jordan and company but that he still managed to carve out an impressive performance.
But Walker recently made some comments that suggest James might have been stretching the truth when he told the story. He alleged that James wasn’t unguardable, though he did say that James “held his own.”
Michael Jordan and a 16-year-old LeBron James played in @WalkerAntoine8's legendary summer runs 🤯
"Bron said he was unguardable in those runs." – @TeamLou23
"Well, he wasn't unguardable…but you could see the potential." – AW pic.twitter.com/v2WpREwlGC
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 14, 2025
Walker said that James got to play toward the end of the session once the intensity had died down. He said that James’ potential was evident but explained that “as far as dominating or anything like that, nah, that wasn’t the case.”
Walker isn’t the first person ever to deny the veracity of a James claim. There exist long compilations on YouTube of James making some pretty amusing assertions, such as that he had an inkling that Lakers legend Kobe Bryant would score 70 points prior to the icon’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors.
In this case, just how “unguardable” James was in the pickup game might be a matter of subjectivity.
Walker was selected by the Celtics with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and was one of the more productive forwards in the league for a sizable stretch of time. He spent every one of his first seven seasons in the league with the Boston Celtics and averaged 20.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in that span.
A lot of time has passed since James participated in the aforementioned pickup game, as he’s gone from a relatively unproven teenager to the NBA’s oldest player. James is currently 40 years old and averaging 25.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game so far in his 22nd season in the league.
But he’s been sidelined for Los Angeles’ past three contests with a groin injury, and the Lakers haven’t fared well of late without him on the floor. Los Angeles is riding a four-game losing streak at the moment and will try to get back to its winning ways against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
