Former Boston Celtics champion Tony Allen knows he committed a cardinal sin when he criticized LeBron James ' defense and has issued an apology.
The Memphis Grizzlies legend had previously taken issue with LeBron James' claim that he deserved the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year award over Marc Gasol . That season, James finished runner-up to Gasol, who strangely missed out on the All-Defensive First Team despite winning the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy.
"Yo Bron, stop it, bro. You ain't ever had to check nobody, bro. His biggest defensive plays are the chasedown blocks. That's his biggest thing. He was sayin he could've got Marc Gasol's award… I didn't think not one time LeBron deserved that," Allen said on the "Club 520 podcast," defending the claim that his former Grizzlies teammate Gasol was undeserving.
"If Marc didn't get it, I should've got it," he continued. "To see him say for his legacy he should've got that award, I'm saying to myself 'bro every game you came in, you was the hunted. You was the guy.' All you did was a couple chase-down blocks a game. Name somebody that he had to lock up and get the win?
"He's so hyped up because of the chase-down blocks. He locked up Paul Pierce ? We made that man go to Miami ! The decision started… You ain't no defensive player. You the GOAT in basketball but not defense," Allen added.
As expected, Allen caught serious heat from James' passionate fanbase after his rant. Earlier this week, Allen apologized to James and his fans.
"I did not know LeBron James was that heavy in media, boy. I promise you, I don't want no smoke," Allen said on "The Baha" podcast, via HITC.
"I'm coming on To The Baha right now, man. Tell all what y'all call them —the 'sexuals', the 'Brons______'— hey man, tell them truce, little Bruce."
While calling for truce, Allen said he was worried that James would use his influence to get his media gigs canceled.
"Straight up, man. Tell them they can send some of that love to To The Baha out the mud, man. Hey, since they so [expletive] deep, we see how deep they is."
In his earlier comments, Allen had challenged the analytics crew on the notion that James was ever an elite defender at any point in his career.
"He is not coming in the game playing 48 minutes of defense," Allen said of LeBron James. "I do not care who got a comment. You cannot talk about this if you have not lived this. So all the sports writers, the analytic guys, the fact guys, everybody who is mad, listen.
"When it is time to get into the hard work and strategically preparing for a game, they do not want LeBron James getting two quick fouls. Period. I am just going to leave it at that."
At last month's Fanatics Fest, James said that the only regret of his career was not winning the DPOY in 2013 — a stance he has reiterated several times over the years.
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