This Fan Really Thought He Had A Chance

TL;DR

Four NBA hot takes are debunked: average fans can't score 2 points per game, Wembanyama's height is a skill, Luka may have peaked, and LeBron's longevity doesn't hurt his GOAT case.

Key Points

• 1.An average Joe could not score 2 points per game in the NBA under any circumstances. A Barstool Sports challenge proved it takes 15 regular guys against just 2 former pros to win — and even then the pros lost players, highlighting the insurmountable gap between amateurs and professionals.
• 2.Peyton Pritchard, who struggled to average 6 points in the NBA, scored 92 points against non-NBA competition. This illustrates that even the weakest NBA player on his worst day is infinitely better than the best average Joe on his best day.
• 3.Victor Wembanyama's height is not the only reason he's elite — it's that he moves like a smaller player despite being enormous. Dismissing him because he's tall ignores that size alone doesn't guarantee success; Taco Fall is tall but far from dominant.
• 4.Luka Doncic peaked earlier than fans realize because he turned pro at 16, giving him 11 professional seasons' worth of mileage by age 27. Comparing his estimated plus-minus trajectory to LeBron, Steph, and Kawhi shows most all-time greats hit their statistical peak around years 6–8.
• 5.LeBron's continued play hurts his GOAT case only if fans still expect prime-level performance from a 41-year-old in his 23rd season. His natural story-book ending could have been after 2024 — all-time scoring record, third franchise championship, and Olympic gold medal.
• 6.Michael Jordan's post-championship Wizards years were underwhelming yet no one holds them against his GOAT case, and the same standard should apply to LeBron. An entirely new generation of fans who watch LeBron now are still convinced they're watching the greatest player ever.