NBA
Iman Shumpert Remembers How LeBron James Challenged Him as a Man During a Cavs Game
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sports7 in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sports7, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterUpdated09 Jul 2022
Usually, the best athletes also have a bit of a temper. Michael Jordan, for example, famously pushed his teammates to the brink to ensure they could handle the pressure of crunch time. Kobe Bryant developed his Mamba Mentality and, by and large, didn't have time for anyone who was unwilling to put in the work. More recently, LeBron James has also been known to yell at his teammates; there's even an iconic image of him trying to get through to J.R. Smith during the 2018 NBA Finals.
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be on the receiving end of one of those outbursts, Iman Shumpert has you covered. On a recent episode of the Iman Amongst Men podcast, the former guard remembered the time when King James challenged his manhood on the court.
LeBron James once (literally) put Iman Shumpert in his place during a game
When players spend an entire season together, there are bound to be some clashes. One interaction with LeBron James, however, still stands out in Iman Shumpert's memory.
During a recent episode of the former guard's podcast, a fan asked about a moment when Shump and guest J.R. Smith felt “challenged as a man.” One situation immediately stood out.
“I know mine. Oh man,” Shumpert began. “We was in, we was playing with Cleveland, and, boy, ‘Bron's ass in the middle of the, it was at the end. Shorty grabbed the ball at the top of the key to calm us down. And I believe I, I don't remember if I was not headed over there or what, but he said, “Shump. Corner. Now.' Shorty, I looked around. I looked at [coach Tyronn Lue]. Everybody looking with the eyes like, ‘Hurry up.' Cleveland is quiet as hell. And I'm like, bro, if I react, I'm the most selfish person on the earth.”
While the guard wasn't sure if King James realized what he had done, he still didn't appreciate being spoken to in that way. After the game ended, he knew he had to stand his ground.
“I think, I think I wanna say I approached the man in the shower to tell him,” Shumpert continued. “Like, ‘Bro, come on, man. ... I'mma run through the wall for you, my dog.' He like, ‘Shump, I ain't know, man. Come on, man.'”
While that may seem like an anticlimactic resolution, it does seem like the two men moved on. They're no longer teammates, but King James did tweet about Shumpert's win on Dancing With the Stars. Shump, for his part, appeared unbothered while recounting his story; if anything, it seems to have transformed from a challenge to a nostalgic memory.
And, if nothing else, Shumpert does have a championship ring thanks to James. If Michael Jordan has taught us anything, it's that teammates can tolerate a lot if the season ends with a title.
As the cliche says, all's fair in love and [basketball].
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