Getty Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James has a unique still set standing at 6’8 and weighing 250 pounds.
A four-time NBA Champion, James has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per contest.
Appearing on the Heavy Live With Scoop B Show, retired NBA legend Kenny Anderson fielded a ton of queations. One that really made him process a few extra seconds was when I asked him who plays like Anthony Mason in this current NBA era. “You gotta say LeBron James,” he said.
“He’s like 6’8”, built, he can rebound, he can play the point, he can play the two, the three, the four…he can probably play the five. So he’s just an awesome talent. He’s just awesome man…LeBron James! He played for the Nets briefly and then he got his game up with the New York Knicks; we played them in the playoffs and everything like that, he was a great man. A great guy. I love Anthony Mason.”
Anthony Mason was a member of the 1994 Eastern Conference champion Knicks. The power forward was reliable on Pat Riley’s Knicks bench to act as a physical defender against opponents much taller than him. During that time, he was named the NBA’s 1995 Sixth Man of the Year.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – APRIL 2: Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller (L) and forward Dale Davis (R) try to keep New York Knicks forward Anthony Mason (C) from passing the ball during first half action 02 April 1996 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN. Mason lead the Knicks in scoring with 23 points to help New York defeat the Pacers 90-86. (Photo credit should read JOHN RUTHROFF/AFP via Getty Images)
As a member of the Miami Heat, he was named an NBA All-Star in 2001.
Mason retired from basketball in 2003 and finished with career averages of 10.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
After retirement Mason became a life insurance marketing specialist with the Hotaling Group, an independent insurance firm based in Manhattan.
“I took care of everybody around me which is probably the ultimate thing that happens to all of us — we don’t always want to say no,” Mason told me in a 2013 phone inteview.
Mason died on February 28, 2015, of congestive heart failure.
Mason had the respect of many including former Milwaukee Bucks teammate, Michael Redd. “Me and Mase got along well,” Michael Redd told me while on the Heavy Live With Scoop B Show.
“I was the young guy still; working hard, coachable…young guy wanting to absorb great players and so, he took care of me and I was close to him. But the chemistry and the cohesion broke up when Scott Williams left the team. If we would’ve gave it one more year with Scottie, who knows what we would’ve accomplished. But Mase had a different personality. The personality that management thought that would help bring leadership and toughness to the team…it didn’t work out. You know, guys clashed all the time and consequently, we didn’t make the playoffs that year. I got hurt at the end of the year and missed the last 11 games or so, and the chemistry – I think we were in 1st place in March and winded up losing and getting out of the playoffs that year. So, our chemistry broke down and I think Mase’s personality did not mesh well with our team dynamic. He taught me a lot. He taught me a lot about life and he knew what type of person I was and so I would sit next to him on the plane or whatever, and he would tell me the ins and outs of the journey of my career; but he was an acquired taste for sure.”