Channing Frye debunks the myth that nobody is scared of LeBron James.

Speaking on NBA TV this week, former NBA sharpshooter Channing Frye debunked the notion that nobody is scared of LeBron James. In an attempt to defend his former teammate, Frye argued that there isn’t a team in the league that wants to face the Lakers in the first round.

“You know who fears LeBron James? Organizations, coaches — players fear him. Jordan and Kobe and even Shaq were feared because of the rules and you had to play them mostly one-on-one so they would embarrass you,” said Frye. “LeBron’s game is not like that. It’s cerebral, it’s like winning. So he’s gonna give you 50, 14, and 13 but it’s not gonna be the same. There are players who fear him in Game 7s. The Lakers this year, LeBron is almost 40 years old and nobody wants to be No. 1 and play the Lakers in the first round.”

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LeBron James has been a subject of debate all week as fans (and some former players) have discussed the level of fear he instills in opponents. As the face of superteams and the player empowerment era, LeBron is more known for making friends with his fellow players than striking fear into them.

Compared to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, who were considered competitive assassins, LeBron doesn’t typically operate with the same level of aggression. Instead, James is more methodical with his approach and uses his quick wits to subtly outsmart his opponents. So, while James may not be “scary” in the traditional sense, he’s a scary player to compete against for any team with title aspirations.

Even at 39 years old, LeBron James is still one of the best players in the league. With averages of 25.2 points, 8.0 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game on 52.75 shooting, he continues to be elite today. It remains to be seen if the Lakers can reach a similar level of dominance this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers Are Still A Team To Fear In The Western Conference

The Lakers were terrifying during their 2020 championship run and the combined might of LeBron James and Anthony Davis was just too much for any team to handle at the time. Unfortunately for the Lakers, everything has been pretty messy since that point.

After acquiring Russell Westbrook in 2021, the Lakers endured their worst stretch in a long while and it wasted a whole season of LeBron’s career. By the end of Westbrook’s tenure, the situation was volatile and toxic in the locker room, and not even new coach Darvin Ham had any answers.

This season, the Lakers haven’t been much better and they currently sit at 9th in the West, three games back from the 6th-seeded Kings. Even so, the Lakers are not a team that any contender wants to face in the first round.

At full strength, we’ve seen what this Lakers team can do and they have the stars, depth, and experience to pull it off again. Plus, with untested groups at the top of the West standings,  the window may be open for an upset in the early rounds.

Regardless of where the Lakers finish this regular season, their star power and track record demand that they not be ignored in the race for the title, and it’s clear they will pose a massive threat to whoever faces them in the playoffs.