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The Serge Ibaka-LeBron James Feud You’ll Be Force-Fed Tonight Isn’t Really A Feud, It’s Just Stupid

On Monday, Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka told the Palm Beach Post that “LeBron [James] is not a good defender.” Ibaka added that “he can play defense for 2-3 minutes, but not 48 minutes. LeBron can’t play (Durant) one-on-one.” People made a huge deal about it on Twitter, so inevitably, James was asked to respond today.

LeBron, who probably gets more criticism than the President, unsurprisingly didn’t seem to care very much.

“I don’t really care what he says, he’s stupid,” James said. “Everyone says something to me every series, then (the media) tries to get a quote. It’s stupid.”

This is the NBA Finals, in a tight series with the Heat leading the Thunder 2-1, so people will make this a big deal. You’ll hear about this throughout tonight’s telecast, because everything is amplified in the NBA Finals. The best two players in the world, LeBron and Durant, are involved. Ibaka, a rising star, is involved. Anytime LeBron is insulted, a big deal is made. It’s more newsworthy when I go to the bathroom; I only do that a few times a day. Honestly, this “feud” is nothing. Don’t be fooled.

Jalen Rose offered another possible explanation on Twitter:

“Folks are overreacting to Serge Ibaka’s comments. He knows LBJ is not only a good defender but a great one. Clearly a language barrier.”

Serge is a smart guy, but he’s from the Congo and this is certainly a possibility. Either he was talking trash, or he didn’t mean what he said. LeBron is right: if he meant it he’s stupid. James is not a bad defender. Everyone knows that. This won’t motivate LeBron any more than usual. We’ll hear about how this feud made a difference tonight, whoever ends up winning, but it won’t be true. It’s stupid. And I feel stupid having to hear it over and over again. Here are the facts: Ibaka is really good at defense. LeBron is really good at defense. Kevin Durant is really hard to guard. And everybody’s stupid.