“He Knew Not To Call Certain Sh*t”: LeBron James Was Cognizant Of Kenyon Martin’s Presence On The Court For Specific Plays

On the , retired NBA stars and discussed the smartest players they played against during their careers. Arenas named , , and . Martin concurred and explained why James was on his list. He said: Advertisement Martin explained that James would force teams to move away from their preferred play calls to avoid getting picked off by the superstar.

He claimed James would communicate to his teammates about the plays the opposition team was about to run just by looking at the players’ positions. That would irk teams and leave them no choice but to change their play call. Advertisement Martin added he cannot stand players who lacked basketball IQ.

He said: Arenas chimed in and said talented players who are benched and get limited playing time are “dumb.” He said: While Martin and Arenas’ assessment sounds harsh, it’s spot on. Running a play successfully requires all five players to play their roles perfectly. Whether it’s spacing by being at their positions beyond the arc, setting screens for pick and rolls, or being available to catch or throw alley oops.

If a player fluffs their responsibility, it doesn’t matter how good the play design is. Players need to understand their roles at the bare minimum. Otherwise, their presence on the court hurts their team regardless of their talent. Advertisement Tales of LeBron James’ High Basketball IQ LeBron James is a basketball savant.

He is blessed with a photographic memory and processes the game faster than anyone else. His former teammate, , once explained how incredible the superstar’s understanding of the game is. In an interview with VladTV, he said: Not only James’ teammates but his fiercest rivals also laud his incredible basketball IQ.

During a post game interview in 2018, James broke down every play of the ‘ 7 0 run in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. ‘ was asked if he saw the clip. He said yes and then called out the journalists in attendance for their soft response to James’ incredible breakdown.

He said: James’ physical tools, combined with his impeccable basketball IQ and work ethic make him one of the most dangerous weapons in the sport’s history. It explains why he has been an All NBA level player for 20 years. Advertisement.