Former NBA player Pero Antic has strongly criticized LeBron James, arguing that the former Los Angeles Lakers star has negatively affected the modern NBA and questioning comparisons between James, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Antic, who played three seasons in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks between 2013 and 2015, made the comments while discussing his view of the current league.
“I can’t watch the NBA anymore,” Antic said. “They’re comparing him to Jordan and Kobe. What?”
Antic then delivered a pointed criticism of James’ style and approach to the game, using a disparaging comparison to describe the four-time NBA champion.
“He’s like a little girl, always begging for something, then he flops and nags,” Antic said.
The former Hawks big man went further by arguing that James has changed the NBA in a negative way.
“LeBron ruined the NBA in one way,” Antic said.
Antic specifically pointed to two aspects of James’ career: his pursuit of the NBA’s all-time scoring record and his desire to play alongside his son, Bronny James.
“‘Oh, I’m going to chase the scoring title on purpose so that nobody ever catches me. Oh, I want my son to play with me.’ That’s not how it’s supposed to go,” Antic said.
James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2023, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record. He has also shared the court with Bronny, who was selected by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Despite Antic’s criticism, James’ statistical résumé remains among the most accomplished in NBA history. Through the 2025-26 season, he had played 1,622 regular-season games while averaging 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists over 23 seasons.
James has won four NBA championships, four MVP awards and four Finals MVP awards while earning 22 All-Star selections and 20 All-NBA selections. He also led the league in scoring once and became the first player to surpass 40,000 regular-season points.
At age 41 during the 2025-26 season, James remained an All-Star, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 60 games for the Lakers.
James subsequently left Los Angeles in the 2026 offseason, signing a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He is now set to play alongside Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey as Philadelphia attempts to contend for a championship.
