LeBron’s answer to the best player he’s ever guarded: “A kid named Derrick Tarver. He was just stronger than everybody at fucking 10. 10 years old, lefty, brolic, stronger than everybody, you knew what he was gonna do, and there was no way you could stop it.” Here’s him in the Swedish league semis.

26 comments

1. LeBrolic

2. I love lebrons answers when he is not trying to control the narrative with some wired head scripts.

3. It’s hilarious that his answer is some dude that was beating him as a 10yo when Bron was 7-8.

4. Derrick Tarver gonna be bragging about this for a minute

5. “KD is nice and all… but that DT kid cooked me!”

6. Man was getting buckets when he played college ball for [Akron](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/stats/_/id/11966/derrick-tarver). Averaged over 20ppg in both of his seasons.

7. Hop step from US to Sweden

8. LeCopout

9. “Why is a brother up north better than Jordan that ain’t get that break?” – Jadakiss

   There are so many stories of guys of amazing players that never got a shot at the NBA because of crime, academics, etc.

10. This is another one to add to the list that displays that same freak competitiveness that Kobe and Jordan had

    Sure LeBron is more polite about it but he’s still got that same obsessive competitiveness that is lauded about those two

    Man is 40 and still remembers off the top of his head a 10 year old that cooked him

11. That dude loves the jump stop move

12. Reminds me of a stronger nick van exel. Crafty.

13. jordan fans “lebron can’t guard a 10 year old”

14. Is this a recent/new interview

15. Derrick Tarver averaged 23ppg on 60% TS% as a guard playing for Akron in 2004.

    Sounds like he was a guy that was really good at using his size and strength in High School and College. That shit don’t work in the NBA when your only 6’4″ 210lbs. You need to be Lebron or Giannis size to physically dominate the NBA.

16. The subtext being “No one has been a problem since I turned 11” is quite a flex.

17. He had two strong seasons at Akron…

    https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/derrick-tarver-1.html

18. Just looking at his stats, he was nice in college, played at Akron for 2 years, put up 20 on 47% and 23 the next year on 49%.

19. Loll you could tell from his frame and style of play he’s one of those dudes who been strong af his whole life…Very similar to another MAC great Antonio Gates

20. What an absolutely absurd answer.

21. Reminds me of Kareem saying the best player he ever played against was “The Goat”, streetball legend Earl Manigault.

22. Bro Derrick better start up a basketball academy today. He just got all his marketing paid for sheesh

23. 20 a game at University of Akron

    https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/derrick-tarver-1.html

24. Derrick has a twin named Darren. I played against them too. They had full facial hair in 7th grade.

25. Watched Tarver play growing up in sweden, he played for Solna (Stockholm team) 05/06, averaged [33.7 ppg](https://www.eurobasket.com/Sweden/basketligan_2005-2006.aspx)

    Still think he got the leage[scoring record with 59](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/0EVk8M/poangrekord–och-hysteri)

26. That’s the thing about every NBA great, at some point in their life they got their ass whooped by another kid which motivates them to work even harder to get better. That kid might’ve been better than Lebrolic at 10yo but being that good that early, it’s entirely possible they didn’t keep working on their game to get better and eventually fell short of the kids who did.