"I don’t think he would be as successful" - Rasheed Wallace on how LeBron James would've fared if he played in the 90s

Retired NBA champion Rasheed Wallace believes LA Lakers forward LeBron James is an excellent player but he may not have been as good if he played in an earlier era. Wallace was selected fourth in the 1995 NBA Draft and his career intersected with the Chicago Bulls’ second three-peat of the 90s.

In the “Beast or Soft” section of the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” show with rapper Gillie Da King and Wallo267, Wallace was asked what he thought of the different players today and what they would have been like in his era.

Rasheed Wallace wonders if LeBron James would have been a beast

Rasheed Wallace (C) #36 gets in rebound position against LeBron James #23 (L) and Drew Gooden #90.

After saying that Stephen Curry and James Harden would have been “soft,” the four-time All-Star wasn’t quite sure what to make of LeBron James.

“In my era, he probably would’ve done good with his physical stature, with him being a little bit bigger than a majority of the rest [of the players],” Wallace said. “So he probably would’ve held his own, but I don’t think he would’ve been as successful as he is now. Now, it’s man, he’s doing it. The young boy’s doing it.

“It’s a whole different era back then, bro,” he added.

When pressed further on whether LeBron James was a “beast or soft,” Rasheed Wallace couldn’t quite put a finger on his answer.

“I think he would have held his own,” Wallace responded. “I couldn’t necessarily say he would’ve been a beast, but I think he would’ve held his own.”

Interestingly, LeBron James and Rasheed Wallace’s teams faced off twice in the playoffs during the mid-2000s. After Wallace’s Detroit Pistons defeated James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games during the 2006 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cavs would get their revenge the following season.

LeBron James had an epic performance in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals when he exploded for 48 points in Cleveland’s 109-107 double-overtime victory on the road. He also added nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

That time a 22-year-old @KingJames dominated the Pistons scoring Cleveland's final 25 points in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals 😤 pic.twitter.com/jyTQlfJsPn

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 5, 2020

Towards the end of the game, LeBron James scored 29 of the Cavaliers’ 30 points, including the team’s final 25 while shooting 11-of-13 from the floor. For his part, Wallace contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the game.

Thanks to James’ legendary performance, the Cavs finished off the Pistons in Game 6 at home to advance to the NBA Finals.

The all-time great performance from LeBron James in this series most likely gave Wallace pause to consider his answer carefully on the “beast or soft” question. Though Sheed didn’t quite give James the proper credit, at least he doesn’t believe that the four-time NBA MVP would have been a softie in his era.

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