“It’s still LeBron” – Shannon Sharpe disagrees with Tatum saying he’s the most disrespected player in the NBA

Ever since Anthony Edwards outright denied wanting to be the face of the NBA, it seems like the entire basketball fraternity has rallied behind him, trying to convince the three-time All-Star to change his mind. However, this has led Shannon Sharpe to voice his dissatisfaction about how Jayson Tatum never gets placed on the same pedestal.

While the league aggressively pushes other young stars forward, no player of the new generation has won more than the six-time All-Star, yet fans conveniently overlook JT when ranking the best players in the league. Tatum is a perfect role model for the next generation to embrace American sports culture.

“The way they handled his situation in the Olympics, I don’t know why people can’t get behind him as one of the faces if not the face of the NBA,” Sharpe said. “We keep trying to push other guys to the forefront, and none of those guys are as accomplished as he is in terms of winning. He’s been winning since he got to the league.”

Sharpe says James is the most disrespected player in the NBA

Shannon’s argument holds weight when considering how the Duke product has been judged over the past few seasons. When Tatum averaged a career-high 30.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, leading the Boston Celtics to register a 57-win campaign in 2022-23, he wasn’t given much attention for the MVP award because his team didn’t secure the No. 1 seed in the East.

Then, in the 2023-24 season, when Jayson willingly reduced his scoring average to 26.9 points while elevating his playmaking to 4.9 assists per game to help the Celtics register the best 64-18 record, he still wasn’t considered the best in the league because the narrative shifted to Boston’s success being a team effort. So, it does seem like every time JT deserves individual recognition, the criteria change conveniently against him.

According to Sharpe, however, no player is more disrespected than LeBron James. At age 40, the four-time MVP is expected to be the Los Angeles Lakers’ No. One option on occasion while also ensuring Luka Doncic gets integrated into the team’s system. Even then, fans don’t fully acknowledge the once-in-a-lifetime longevity shown by the 6’9″ forward.

“I do think JT is undervalued, but for me, it’s still LeBron (who is the most disrespected NBA player). People just take for granted what we see,” Sharpe added. “I still believe LeBron is a top-10 player, you might disagree with me, but what he is asked to do, at the age of 40, on a nightly basis before they got Luka, it’s hard for me to say that there’s somebody that is more undervalued. But if I had to pick one guy and say you know what, Shannon, he’s more undervalued than LeBron, it’s Jayson Tatum.”

Is LBJ truly disrespected?

The standard with the 21-time All-Star has always been greatness. Even in Year 22, James is averaging 24.7 points and 8.8 assists per game, showing no signs of slowing down but rather still being capable of leading a big-market team to a title. But fans have been so accustomed to this consistent dominance that they now seem to not marvel at every added accomplishment.

So, what Sharpe must realize, despite his admiration for LeBron, is that the NBA and its fans still go out of their way to appreciate “The King” and his legacy. On the contrary, the same cannot be said for Tatum; whether it is about the 26-year-old’s leadership or individual consistency, he continues to be undervalued regarding the MVP conversation. If this trend continues, JT’s legacy might be wrongly remembered as someone who was never the best player in the NBA when that simply is not the case.