Andres Nocioni: As a rival Kobe Bryant would kill you, he was a serial killer, very competitive. I imagine he must have been the closest thing to Jordan in that mindset, because I played against LeBron James. LeBron seems to me to be top two, top three in the NBA, one of the best, but I don't know if he has what Kobe and Jordan had. They were serial killers, a certain mindset. And I think LeBron is a total star, but I don't know if he has that killer mentality.
More on LeBron James: Recent HoopsHype Rumors
LeBron James bypassed a reunion with his hometown team for a new opportunity with the 76ers ... so how should Cavaliers fans feel about the rejection?? Ex-NBA star and Cleveland native Charles Oakley says they should GET OVER IT!! TMZ Sports caught up with Oak at the 17th Annual
Amazon Kids Back-to-School Fashion Show in NYC on Thursday ... and asked him all about the 41-year-old King's latest decision to join a fourth franchise. The Knicks great shut down any criticism about James heading to the City of Brotherly Love in pursuit of more rings ... saying what he's doing this late in his career should be admired -- and he's still a role model to young kids. — 8/2/2026 TMZ.com
Andres Nocioni: As a rival Kobe Bryant would kill you, he was a serial killer, very competitive. I imagine he must have been the closest thing to Jordan in that mindset, because I played against LeBron James. LeBron seems to me to be top two, top three in the NBA, one of the best, but I don't know if he has what Kobe and Jordan had. They were serial killers, a certain mindset. And I think LeBron is a total star, but I don't know if he has that killer mentality. — 8/2/2026 YouTube
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant said Saturday that LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers have the offensive firepower to compete for the 2027 NBA championship. What's more, Durant evoked his two Golden State Warriors championship teams, which also featured Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, when praising the combined scoring prowess of Philadelphia's James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. "The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on," Durant said at a USA Basketball event Saturday. "[The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they're going to be a contender. They're going to be a fun team to watch. It's going to be League Pass-worthy." — 8/1/2026 ESPN
James, 41, announced on July 24 that he would join the 76ers rather than the Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat after weighing his latest free agency move for more than three weeks. While Durant, 37, said he had no advance notice about the decision, he believes the growing buzz around the 76ers is "only going to help" grow interest in the NBA. "I didn't know at all," Durant said. "LeBron is stealth like that. I know there's a lot of noise around him, but you never know what's on his mind. I'm happy for him. It's a great decision for him to go to a team that has a good chance to win. Philly is a great fanbase, a great market, and it's great for the league. There were so many eyes that were tuned in to his decision." — 8/1/2026 ESPN
Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James has drawn criticism from some fans for joining another championship contender late in his career, but NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal believes that narrative misses the point. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, O’Neal defended James’ decision to sign with the 76ers, saying he has no issue with the four-time NBA champion putting himself in position to compete for another title during his 24th NBA season. O’Neal rejected the idea that James’ latest move should be labeled as “ring chasing.” “I don’t blame him for trying to get with a team where he can get another championship. People call it ring chasing, I call it ring continuance.” — 8/1/2026 Clutch Points
The Hall of Fame center expanded on his reasoning, arguing that every player should seek the best opportunity to compete for a championship, especially one with James’ résumé. “He already has four rings. It’s funny the people that don’t have rings, ‘Oh, he’s ring chasing.’ You always want to put yourself in a position to win a championship. So, he has four and he’s done it the right way. He’s done it his way. Now on you’re on your way out you can get with a team that’s got some players to get one or two more, I would do it.” — 8/1/2026 Clutch Points
Eddie Johnson: LeBron James has signed with another contender and almost immediately the conversation turned predictable. 'He’s ring chasing.' Really, is that what he is doing? And since when did wanting to win become an insult? I grew up in the projects of Cabrini Green and then learned to compete on the west side of Chicago in a single-parent household. Not just at sports, but freaking LIFE. I had two challenges: 1. Win at whatever sport I was competing in at the time and, 2. Win the game of navigating back home safely, avoiding difficult situations. — 8/1/2026 HoopsHype
Eddie Johnson: LeBron grew up in Akron, Ohio, with a single parent, and based on the road he has talked about traveling, it seems to be a carbon copy of what I went through. Hundreds of athletes can relate to this journey, and so it is not unique, but if you didn't live any part of it, you would never understand that insane drive to succeed no matter what. So everyone knows LeBron's journey; he has been in your face for 23 years straight with no breaks in between. You know he is an amazing basketball player... So let's stop pretending this conversation is really about basketball. We all know it's about legacy. — 8/1/2026 HoopsHype
Eddie Johnson: For over two decades, LeBron has been judged by a different standard than any player we have ever seen. Every move inside and outside the lines he makes isn't evaluated on whether it helps his team win. It's evaluated by one question: 'Does this help or hurt his GOAT argument ?' That's the real discussion. — 8/1/2026 HoopsHype
Eddie Johnson: Athletes are coached, built and motivated their entire lives to chase championships. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Shaquille O'Neal all changed teams for another shot at titles and nobody accused those players of doing something wrong because they still wanted to win. Yet somehow when LeBron does it, 'ring chasing' suddenly becomes an issue. Why? Because every championship LeBron wins changes history. It changes where people rank him, how future generations remember him and makes the Michael Jordan debate more uncomfortable for people who've already made up their minds. That's why every move becomes controversial. — 8/1/2026 HoopsHype
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Andres Nocioni: LeBron James doesn't have the killer mentality Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had
