Former Los Angeles Lakers big man Kwame Brown has long been critical of Lakers forward LeBron James.
For instance, in early 2022, he gave James flak for checking the stat sheet in the middle of a game while the Lakers were losing and claimed that Lakers legend Kobe Bryant would have never done such a thing.
As another example, when James violated the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols later that year and received no punishment, he called out the veteran for being “above the rules.”
Now, with James seemingly nearing the end of his time in the NBA, Brown recently claimed that the 40-year-old will leave the game of basketball worse off than he found it.
Kwame Brown:
“I believe LeBron is going to leave the game worse than he found it… LeBron is a football player, playing basketball. And they moved these rules so that his skill set could work.”
(h/t @olympicbean)pic.twitter.com/u5SW1RjX2t
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 12, 2025
Brown’s argument centers around the idea that the NBA tinkered with its rules over the years so that James could thrive with his skill set. He seems to think that the game “got rid of the power forward” and “got rid of all these people” that could contest James’ shot.
However, the real reason for the evolution he’s referring to might be the importance of the 3-point shot in today’s league. There’s also no solid proof that the NBA has ever changed any rule because of James.
Brown spent more than two seasons playing for the Lakers organization back in the 2000s, when the team had already moved on from big man Shaquille O’Neal but was still led by none other than Bryant.
While he didn’t live up to the expectations that come with being a No. 1 pick in any draft, Brown was maybe a better center for Los Angeles than he gets credit for. He averaged 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game across 136 total regular-season games played with the Lakers.
He saw his time in Los Angeles come to a close after the Lakers dealt him to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a deal for big man Pau Gasol in 2008. Gasol won two titles as a member of the Lakers and cemented himself as one of the greatest big men ever to wear a purple and gold jersey.
Brown last played in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2012-13 regular season.
