Tim Legler says he would love to see LeBron James find ‘most physical version of himself’ in different era

Legler’s interest in seeing James playing in an era of high physicality

During the 1990s, physicality was a fixture in the NBA. Since he played during that era, Legler has experience with what it was like back then. Due to James’s status as a generational athlete with amazing physical gifts, it would have been interesting to see him play in different eras.

Of course, James has already played across many generations, spanning over 20 years. He played in the mid-2000s, when isolation-heavy offenses were popular. James has also been present during the three-point revolution, and he has remained fantastic throughout his career.

Due to his physical attributes, James would have been a natural across any NBA era. Legler argues that James would have been great in the 1990s, specifically.

“I’d like to see LeBron James, honestly, play in the ’90s, and not to say that he couldn’t. I mean, the guy’s a physical specimen. It’s just insane to me that you can never make a comparison,” Legler said on the ALL NBA Podcast.

“To watch LeBron play through that, that level of his physicality, and see him find the most physical version of himself, when really the second half of his career, most of his career has been in an era with a lot less physicality in the rim.”

“Guys aren’t getting laid out on their back the way that they were. I think he could easily adapt to it. I just would think that’d be fascinating to watch him ramp up his level of physicality to match what that era was.”

James has the gifts to thrive in any era of the NBA

While James’ career is winding down, he still has a rich legacy to look back on. Players like Victor Wembanyama are taking over, but James is still playing. With his longevity, skill set, and mindset, it is easy to see him thriving across different eras.

Winning a championship for three teams across different eras shows he could thrive in any situation. That should matter in discussions about how he would fare in previous eras. In the 1990s, James would have faced tougher defenses. However, he has the talent and the physicality to succeed at that time.

Many people can feel different about James, but he deserves all the praise he has received. He has earned his way to the top, and he will remain one of the game’s greatest-ever players.