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NBA

Former teammate on LeBron James: 'He ruined basketball'

Shumpert, who last played in the NBA in 2019, was a 39% career shooter

By Anthony Farris OutKick
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LeBron James didn’t just ruin Space Jam, he also ruined basketball, according to former teammate Iman Shumpert. James, who’s made a habit of cherry-picking teammates and home teams, shaped Shumpert’s opinion when he initially left Cleveland for Miami in the summer of 2010.

"It was Bron going to Miami. Bron knows he ruined basketball," said Shumpert, when the topic of Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Warriors was discussed on the Bootleg Kev podcast. "He thought he was making it better, I get it."

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Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) works the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) in the first half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-78. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) works the ball against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) in the first half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-78. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

Shumpert and James teamed together in Cleveland for three seasons, including the Cavaliers’ 2016 championship. Shump’s of the belief that LeBron’s power play — when he decided to take his talents to South Beach — forever changed the game. "Me personally, I loved the NBA for the loyalty that I thought was there. He basically knocked the fourth wall down," said Shumpert.

He added, "Great business move for sure."

Not surprisingly, Shumpert’s hot take quickly made its way to the Twitter table, which included social media users questioning his belief that LBJ started "super teams." Shumpert responded by again taking aim at James’ largely unpopular decision making.

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James signals to a teammate during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James signals to a teammate during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

"Find me the year the top player left his throne and joined someone else," tweeted Shumpert. "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."

The 31-year old Shumpert, who last played in the NBA in 2019, was a 39% career shooter. On the Bootleg Kev podcast, he didn’t miss.