LeBron James Issues Frank Response to Critics Who Say He Has 'No Bag'

As one of the most high-profile players in the NBA, LeBron James is also one of the most scrutinized. Over the course of his 22-season career James has found success on every team he's joined, and his perennial winning ways has led some to criticize his game throughout the years.
James addressed one of those criticisms on a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast, when the Los Angeles Lakers star discussed with Steve Nash whether players needed to have "a bag" or not.
"I see it all the time. I be on social media and it’s like, 'LeBron has no bag.' LeBron has no bag and I’m sitting here with 50 billion points," James said.
"I see it all the time. I be on social media and it’s like, LeBron has no bag. LeBron has no bag and I’m sitting here with 50 billion points."
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 8, 2025
(via @mindthegamepod | h/t @shpillo_) pic.twitter.com/QbTH29a6SW https://t.co/iwXrrl0Nq3
In modern slang, "having a bag" means having a versatile skill set of moves and techniques (i.e. a very good handle) that makes you difficult to guard. But, James went on to explain why he didn't think "having a bag" carried that much weight with him or mattered that much in the NBA.
"Michael Jordan wasn't out there dribbling a thousand times to get to the spot, he'd get to a spot and raise," James said. "Isiah Thomas, as great of a handle Isiah Thomas had, Isiah would get to a spot and raise... All these great players that I grew up watching, yes they can dribble a basketball but—Tracy McGrady, even as great as Tracy's handle was, it was, 'I'm bigger than you, I'm going to get to the spot with the least amount of dribbles.'"
James's four NBA titles naturally speak for themselves, not to mention he became the first NBA player in history to score 50,000 combined regular season and postseason points earlier this year. The 40-year-old will be seeking more league glory next season alongside star Luka Doncic after getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
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