Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas rolled out a rather interesting story about Michael Beasley and LeBron James.
“There’s a stat where him [Beasley] and LeBron [James] played 1-on-1 and about some 30 games and he hasn’t lost,” Arenas narrated on his ‘No Chill Podcast’.
It goes without saying that James is one of the greatest ever players to have played the sport, but during his time with the Miami Heat, there was one player who he couldn’t get the better of. Beasley reportedly beat James in 1-on-1 during practice.
This was even seconded by Miami Heat beat writer Tom Haberstroh on the Back To Back podcast. While Arenas does talk about a stat, he presumably meant the story that Haberstroh had.
It’s worth noting that Beaskey didn’t really set the NBA on fire, despite coming in with high expectations. His 11-year career in the league averaged 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. But then, if he beat James constantly in 1-on-1 battles, then there’s more than just talent there. Beasley had the skill, and the tenacity to play against the best of the best.
Michael Beasley Still Believes He Can Make A Substantial Impact In The NBA
While the game has changed tremendously over the years, Beasley still believes he can make a splash in the fast-paced and evolving league.
Per Sports Illustrated, the former Los Angeles Lakers star was optimistic that he could still be a force in the NBA. If you pay attention to how I play, that’s how the NBA plays today,” he said.
“I stay in shape and play every day. If I get the call, I can definitely make an impact. The NBA is on some shit. Donovan scored 71, Luka 50, and LeBron still scored 40. The game is wide open. When I was playing, the game was about defense. It is about holding teams to 75, 80, and 90 points. Now it’s like a rodeo.”
Beasley last played with the Lakers during the 2018-2019 season and averaged 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. Whether he finds any takers in the league at 34 remains to be seen. But given his skillset and style of play, there’s no denying that he can still play ball.
