Mario Chalmers recently set NBA media ablaze with his comments that players do not ‘fear' LeBron James. Former 3-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas addressed the take on his podcast.

“Did anybody fear Magic Johnson? No. Did anybody fear John Stockton? Karl Malone? No! The fear comes from what that person's capability is.”

Arenas references hall-of-famers that supposedly didn't instill fear in their opponents because of their capabilities. He groups LeBron James with these players as a hooper with a skillset that is not something to fear.

One thing Arenas is forgetting is that LeBron James was so dominant for the Cleveland Cavaliers that an entire city was named after him. After dominating the Toronto Raptors year after year, the matchup ushered in the nickname ‘LeBronto' anytime the two teams faced off. It is hard to believe this didn't elicit just a tad bit of fear from Raptors players.

Regardless of his dominance against the Raptors, James has still won rings with two other franchises and is still vying for a ring this season at the buoyant age of 38 years old. To be able to sustain such excellence for such a long period of time, James does not have the time to consider who does or does not fear him.

One thing about media personalities, NBA media especially, they understand a hot take drives clicks. In a vacuum, the whole debate regarding fear in the NBA is sort of ridiculous. If an NBA player literally feared another player, it is unlikely they would possess the mental fortitude to make it to the NBA in the first place.

For now, Gilbert Arenas and NBA media alike will continue to funnel through irrelevant takes that fans will debate until the brakes fall off.