LeBron James‘ future with the Los Angeles Lakers has been a hot topic as he enters the twilight of his career at 41, and now, his agent Rich Paul has sparked controversy with remarks comparing the NBA legend to Karl Malone.
With Luka Doncic emerging as the Lakers‘ primary ball-handler, questions about James‘ role are unavoidable.
LeBron James stepped out looking fly in a look picked by Zhuri
And Paul weighed in on the matter during a recent segment with Max Kellerman, highlighting LeBron‘s efficiency in an off-ball capacity.
“The ceiling is who he is or who he has been for his career,” Paul told Max Kellerman on Game Over. “But the floor was Karl Malone.
“Like if LeBron just decided to set screens, pop… like last night, right?”
His point revolves around how James‘ off-ball presence creates opportunities, much like Malone did with John Stockton. His ability to read defenses and create space allows teammates cleaner looks and easier scoring chances.
But social media quickly criticized Paul‘s comments, viewing them as disrespectful to Malone, who maintained impressive numbers through the peak of his career.
One fan wrote, “Pretty disrespectful to one of the all time greats in Malone. Why would he feel the need to do this?”
Another added, “Prime Karl Malone was a two-time league MVP come on Rich the more he talks the worse he gets.”
And a third noted, “Prime Karl Malone was putting up 30 and 10 tf is this ni**a yapping about.”
After Doncic joined the Lakers last February, James has largely shifted to a secondary role, letting Luka and Austin Reaves handle playmaking. Together, they have averaged 15.1 assists this season while James thrives as a complementary scorer.
James has acknowledged Malone‘s influence in the past, emphasizing durability and consistency after surpassing Malone for second on the all-time scoring list.
“Guys that just took care of their bodies for the majority of their career,” LeBron said to ESPN. “And always wanted to be available…
“I think myself and him, we always just tried to be in uniform and make plays and stay in condition and try to stay healthy.”
LeBron James set to be disqualified from NBA honor?
James‘ streak of 21 consecutive seasons on the All-NBA or All-Star teams is under threat after missing several games due to injury this season, marking the most disruptive campaign of his career to date.
He sat out the first 14 games with lower back and leg injuries and has yet to play consecutive games since returning. Most recently, he missed the Lakers‘ 107-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs due to left foot arthritis and right sciatica.
The four-time NBA champion did play in Tuesday’s 113-103 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, but missing multiple games now endangers his eligibility for postseason awards, which require a minimum of 65 games played.
If James misses one more game this season, he would be disqualified from All-NBA and All-Star honors, a streak that began his rookie year in 2003-04 and has continued unbroken for 21 seasons.
Maintaining his streak would require careful management, but with his off-ball role increasing, LeBron continues to shape games while adjusting to age and emerging team dynamics.
