DeMar DeRozan Issues Strong LeBron James Statement on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated May 28, 2025 4:58 PM ET

During an appearance on the "Run Your Race" podcast, Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan spoke about Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

James just played in his 22nd NBA season. He's the oldest active player in the league at 40, but you wouldn't know that by watching him play.

James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks for the Lakers during the 2024-25 regular season and 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks in the 2025 playoffs. He made the All-NBA Second Team.

The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of this year's postseason in five games. James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5.

DeRozan, who never beat James in a postseason series when he was on the Toronto Raptors and James was on the Cleveland Cavaliers, said no one in today's NBA would be able to compete with the 2016 version of James.

"I told somebody this the other day like when they was playin' in the series," DeRozan said. "They was talkin' about Bron can't get it done, Ant (Anthony Edwards) beatin' 'em. I remember tellin' a group of people, I said, 'Most these (expletive) wouldn't stand a chance vs. a 2016 Bron.'

"People forget the man been doin' this 22 years man. Somethin' we never seen in no sport. To be able to dominate this long as he has. The standard that he's been held to at a 40-year-old man. To still do that at that level, I'm pretty sure 99 percent of people in the league would not be doin' none of that at 40 years of age, hoopin' at that high of a level. It's always easy to pick on greatness when you haven't seen it to that level before."

Arguably the greatest player of all time, James has played for the Cavaliers (twice), Miami Heat and Lakers. He has career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks.

James became the leading scorer in NBA history in 2023. He's a four-time MVP, a four-time champion and a four-time Finals MVP.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: