Iman Shumpert, who won a championship on a team that was powered by LeBron James in Cleveland, is now casting aspersions at King James by stating forcefully and repeatedly that he “ruined basketball.”
Shumpert took off after James during his visit to the “Bootleg Kev” podcast, where he said emphatically that the current Los Angeles Lakers superstar “knows” that he destroyed the competitive balance in the league forever.
The subject was broached when Bootleg Kev asserted that Kevin Durant ruined the game when he joined a record-breaking Golden State Warriors team in 2016 and rode the wave to two titles.
“It wasn’t KD. It was LeBron first going to Miami. LeBron knows he ruined basketball. He thought he was making it better. Me personally, I loved the NBA for the loyalty that I thought was there. He basically knocked the fourth wall down,” Shumpert said.
“Great business move for sure. But when you think about it outside looking in, I got people tweeting me right now, they’re literally talking about owners and trade,” Shumpert said.
Shumpert also castigated King James for his infamous tendency to flop, which has been a point of contention for sports pundits and fans alike for years.
“The worst thing we had against LeBron was like, ‘Bro, why you flopping?’” Shumpert surged on. “And literally, he started flopping cause he like, ‘Bro, I gotta get these free throws if these people getting free throws.’ He like, ‘Bro, I’m really getting hit.’ So he like, ‘Ah, I’ll sell it for you ’cause they can’t see it ’cause I’m so strong. Y’all can’t see me getting fouled.’”
Following the inflammatory interview, Shumpert defended his perspective that James destroyed the sanctity of the NBA.
Check out the interview and watch Shumpert interact with fans on Twitter.
You saw the clip and not the convo. LeBron changed the way teams are built forever. Check the length of these contracts https://t.co/1q9Q3gOgM5
— Iman. (@imanshumpert) December 21, 2021
That’s right you got to win a championship in one year thanks to LeBron were you sad to leave the Knicks oh I don’t think so Plus you forgot the first big 3 was 2008 Boston Celtics that started ‘the three talk’
— rhonda howell (@66rho) December 21, 2021
Find me the year the top player left his throne and joined someone else? Closest thing was Shaq but Bigs have to pair up and Kobe was the juice. Bron had no need and had all the influence. I can debate this all day. https://t.co/gjQKSNLBpw
— Iman. (@imanshumpert) December 21, 2021
