Max Kellerman claims 41-year-old LeBron James was better than Karl Malone ever was ‘in his life’

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Max Kellerman had immense praise for LeBron James, comparing him to one of the NBA’s greatest scorers ever, the Mail Man, Karl Malone.

Malone went to the NBA Finals three times in his NBA career, twice with the Utah Jazz against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, and once in his final year alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the Los Angeles Lakers.

While Malone never won a championship in his career, he was a two-time MVP in his career, and ended his tenure in the NBA as the second-leading scorer of all time.

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Max Kellerman says 2026 Playoff LeBron James was better than prime Karl Malone​

Speaking on his podcast with Rich Paul, NBA analyst Max Kellerman claimed that LeBron James’ 2026 playoff run was on another level.

He noted that James’ 2026 playoff version was better than any version of Karl Malone at any point in his storied NBA career.


“LeBron James this past year, in the playoffs, when he needed to be at his best, was better than Karl Malone ever was a day in his life in the NBA. Karl Malone was way up there, but LeBron is still really [great].”

While some might consider what Kellerman is saying hyperbolic and disrespectful to Malone, his praise for LeBron’s playoff performance is far from unwarranted.

James managed to lead the Lakers past the Houston Rockets with relative ease, despite missing his two co-stars, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

LeBron James still considered one of the best in the world at 41-years-old​

It’s hard to explain just how spectacular James’ longevity in the NBA has been. Despite being in the league for 20+ years and playing at the highest possible level, James is still one of the best players in the world.

We have never seen any player in the NBA play as well as James has for as long as he has. Very rarely do players continue their careers into their 40s, and even if they do, they don’t play nearly as well as they did in their primes.

While James is far from the player he was at the peak of his powers, he is still playing at an incredibly high level and is one of the best players in the world.

Now that he will be playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, James will be able to deliver at a high level while still not being relied on to carry the team on his own.

Read more:

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