Eddie A. Johnson has fired back at Rashad McCants after the former NBA guard questioned LeBron James ’ aggressiveness in the playoffs.
The debate comes in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Lakers ’ Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder , where LeBron delivered an efficient performance but still faced criticism for not “taking over” the game.
McCants was one of the loudest voices pushing that narrative. Johnson, however, took a very different approach in his response.
Reacting via his X handle , Johnson went straight at McCants’ credibility.
“Lol. Avg 8 shots a game and out of the league at 24. But the 41-year-old has to shoot more. I would say you should have shot more. What you think?” Johnson tweeted.
The response quickly went viral, with Johnson pointing to McCants’ short NBA career and relatively low usage as a way to dismiss his criticism.
McCants averaged around 8–9 field goal attempts per game during his five-year NBA stint and was out of the league by age 24, a stark contrast to LeBron’s longevity and current production at 41.
The exchange also reflects a broader divide between former players when it comes to evaluating LeBron’s role late in his career.
The response from Johnson came after McCants made his comments on Gil’s Arena .
“What’s stopping you from taking the game over? It’s always been my question with LeBron. He’s just gotta do better, and it ain’t got sh*t to do with his age,” McCants said.
The criticism followed LeBron’s Game 1 performance against OKC, where he scored 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting, but the Lakers still lost 108-90.
McCants’ argument centered on aggression, suggesting that LeBron should have asserted himself more during key stretches of the game, particularly as Oklahoma City pulled away in the second half.
Many analysts pointed instead to the Lakers’ lack of support, with players like Austin Reaves struggling badly and the team committing 17 turnovers overall.
The result has turned one performance into a much larger discussion, and with Johnson now entering the conversation, the debate has shifted from LeBron’s play to who gets to critique it in the first place.
Read more:
