Tyronn Lue Likens LeBron James to Shaquille O'Neal When Discussing Foul Calls
Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James has a blend of supreme athleticism and strength that allows him to be an absolute force when attacking the rim.
Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue spoke Sunday about how James' inability to draw fouls at times isn't unlike the difficulties Shaquille O'Neal faced thanks to his freakish physical gifts, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin:
"He's the Shaq of guards and forwards. ... He's so strong and so physical, when he goes to the basket, guys are bouncing off of him. Those are still fouls, but he doesn't get that call because he's so big and so strong and so physical.
We used to tease Shaq all the time about soft fouls. He said: 'Listen, if I pinch you, it feels the same way when you pinch me. No matter how big I am, it feels the same.' I never thought about it like that. That's kind of how LeBron feels.
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James (6'8", 250 lbs) averaged 6.5 free-throw attempts per game this season—the lowest since his rookie year—and has averaged only four tries from the charity stripe in three playoff games against the Detroit Pistons.
Forward Marcus Morris elbowed James in the ribs in Game 2, and center Andre Drummond elbowed James in the neck in Game 3, per McMenamin. Neither player was assessed a flagrant foul, but the Cavs believed Drummond deserved a flagrant-2, per a source cited by McMenamin.
Cleveland contacted the NBA about Drummond's foul, but the Association didn't hit Drummond with any further discipline.
"Initially I was surprised," said James of the NBA's decision, per McMenamin. "But then I thought who he did it to, and I wasn't surprised."
With how fast-paced of a sport basketball is and the amount of contact James can take without being fazed, it's no wonder he might feel slighted. O'Neal faced a similar plight as a towering center, but he was only a 52.7 percent free-throw shooter and didn't stand to benefit as much from calls as James would.
The Ringer's Bill Simmons recently pointed out how officials may well ultimately make up for any lack of whistles in James' favor:
Whatever the impact officiating has had over the course of his career, James has been and continues to be a paragon of durability, consistency and greatness.
He's been a part of teams that have won 16 straight opening-round postseason contests entering Sunday's potential closeout Game 4 in Detroit and has played in five straight NBA Finals. James is averaging 23 points, 8.3 rebounds and seven assists in the Pistons series thus far.
As James progresses deeper into his career, he won't be quite the all-around threat he's been during his prime and will likely become more of a power forward who relies on strength in the post. Officiating may well be an even bigger factor as to how productive James remains toward the end of his playing days.
