LeBron James’ ranking (No. 22) in Bleacher Report’s list of NBA history’s best defenders triggered Tony Allen, who was a spot behind the 41-year-old superstar.
“The Grindfather,” a key part of the Memphis Grizzlies’ “Grit-n-Grind” teams from 2010 to 2017, thought James got his defensive reputation from his claims and hype.
Allen didn’t hold back on his comments about the new Philadelphia 76ers forward’s defense.
LeBron James’ 2013 DPOY Argument Draws Strong Criticism From NBA Champion Tony Allen
On more than a few occasions, James has claimed that he should have won the 2013 DPOY over Marc Gasol, Allen’s Grizzlies teammate.
The latest shot the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar threw at Gasol was in April 2024 during an episode of his podcast “The Shop.”
James said that the DPOY was the only award “missing in my house,” adding that “it kind of stings” that he didn’t get that recognition. To give substance to his statement, he emphasized that “the guy who won Defensive Player of the Year didn’t even make First-Team All-Defense.”
Allen pushed back against that claim on this week’s “Chris Vernon Show.”
“Yo, Bron (James), stop it, bro. You ain’t ever had to check nobody, bro. … He was saying he could’ve got Marc Gasol’s award. Cool, let me pull up a seat on something. When Marc won that award, everybody asked me that summer why I didn’t get that award. Man, I didn’t think not one time LeBron deserved that. If Marc didn’t get it, I should’ve got it,” Allen said.
“To see him say for his legacy he should’ve got that award, I’m saying to myself, ‘Bro, every game you came in, you was the hunted. You was the guy. All you did was a couple chase-down blocks a game.’ Name somebody that he had to lock up and get the win?”
When pressed about James’ defense against Paul Pierce, Allen’s Boston Celtics teammate, the 6-foot-4 guard responded.
“He locked up Paul Pierce? We made that man go to Miami! The decision started. He didn’t shake our hands in that game. He didn’t shake nobody’s hands, and he dipped,” Allen stressed.
In 2013, Marc Gasol received 212 points to win the DPOY, while James came in second with 149. Serge Ibaka rounded out the top 3 with 122 votes.
The controversy came when the All-NBA Defensive Teams were announced. Gasol made it to the second team, while James, Ibaka, Allen, and Chris Paul were on the first team. Centers (tied) Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah also made it to the first group over Gasol.
Team defensive rating might have something to do with how voters decided the DPOY. The Grizzlies’ 99.1 defensive rating was second in the NBA, a shade behind the Indiana Pacers’ 99.0.
Regardless of the reason or James’ claims, Allen is not conceding that award to the 22-time All-Star. However, the “Grit-n-Grind” founding member gave some concession, calling James the “GOAT in basketball but not defense.”
