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Joe Johnson says Tony Allen "must be on that indica" over his LeBron take
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- Joe Johnson says Tony Allen "must be on that indica" over his LeBron take
Tony Allen sparked a social media debate after recently questioning LeBron James' defensive acumen , even during the latter's prime. According to the Grindfather, LBJ was practically the "hunted," and could never really claim he was close to becoming a DPOY-level defender.
It surely was a controversial take. James placed second for Defensive Player of the Year twice, first in 2009 and again in 2013. The King was also a part of five consecutive All-Defensive First Teams, plus one other Second Team selection.
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Unsurprisingly, TA's comments did not sit well with many, including Joe Johnson . Johnson, along with former teammate Josh Smith , saw the narrative through a different lens and tried to make sense of what LeBron really brought to his teams.
Why Tony Allen took a shot at LeBron James
Six All-Defense selections should be enough to call "BS" to whatever Allen was claiming. James was never known as the lockdown type, but he could do it if he wanted to, especially in his prime. However, that wouldn't be a good use of his athletic strengths, so he was primarily tasked as the free safety and weakside helper.
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J-Smoove and Iso Joe could absolutely relate to that role. Smith was an uber-athletic forward hybrid like James, so he understood why his Miami Heat teams never used Bron as the primary defender against the other squad's best offensive guy.
Meanwhile, Johnson started out playing with Paul Pierce in Boston. He drew the assignment against the likes of Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Ray Allen. If need be, Pierce took over guarding those guys in the 4th, but it was a given that the team's leading scorer wasn't going to spend the first 36 minutes chasing elite perimeter threats.
That's why Johnson and Smith believed Allen's criticism was missing the big picture.
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"I get what (Allen was) saying, but that doesn't mean that (LeBron is) not a great defender, though," Smith said on Nightcap. " That means that he has more value than a person just playing defense. Like, it's okay for (a defender) to foul out, but this dude can't foul out. Not LeBron James."
Joe shared the same sentiment. LeBron's job was rarely taking on primary defensive assignments, although it would have been great seeing him go for certain matchups. But at the end of the day, labeling James as a "bad defender" is a stretch.
So, why would Allen make such outrageous claims? For Johnson, some wounds don't just heal with time.
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"You want me to keep it real with TA and Bron? Obviously, TA playing with the Celtics and that little rivalry they had with Cleveland, even in Miami. On top of that, maybe even some of the things Bron may have said about Memphis. You know how TA and Z-Bo out the mud. Them boys Memphis till they D-I-E," Iso Joe stated.
"It could be stemming from a lot of different things; you never know. But when I think about it, I'm like, 'Hold on. TA out here wilding.' He must be on that indica, too. I don't know what he got going," he added.
Back in April, James said Memphis was one of the two NBA cities he disliked the most. He faced intense backlash after that, and Allen probably held that against him as Bluff City's adopted son.
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Tough comparison
When it comes to defense, TA knows a thing or two about locking people up. How else would a non-shooter survive 14 years in the Association? Allen knew he had to hang his hat on D, and he'll be alright.
That said, he was treading on thin ice as soon as he compared his defensive responsibilities to Bron's. Doing so isn't exactly an apples-to-apples exercise. The Chosen One was expected to carry the offensive load since Day 1, while being a defensive playmaker. Coaches kept him off the primary scorers, not because he couldn't do it, but because his versatility made him far more valuable than 'just a guy who plays defense.'
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That's what Iso Joe and Smoove were getting at. TA saw defense through the eyes of a specialist like he was, but LBJ was entrusted with a much larger burden to carry. Both were elite defenders in their own right, only in vastly different roles.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
