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"I was seeing those silver bullets dart across my vision" - Ex-Cavs center felt how strong LeBron James was during practice


One of the things that makes LeBron James special is his incredible strength. Even as a teenager, James already possessed the power of a grown man. That's how former Cleveland Cavaliers big man Scott Williams once described it.

According to Williams, who played for the Cavs in the 2004-05 season, he experienced how powerful James really is firsthand during practice games. Nicknamed "Tank," Williams was built for some physical basketball throughout his career. Despite being remarkably strong himself, Williams still felt the power of James.

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Still to this day, Scott vividly recalls how he ended up getting wobbled after he and LeBron collided in a play. It has to be taken into account that James was only about 19 years old at the time.

"He was always very strong, that's for sure [Laughs] I remember early days in training camp, I prided myself on my defensive play," Williams told HoopsHype in 2020. "I only knew one way to play. I was often playing opposite LeBron during practice."

"One time he tried to drive down the middle of the lane and I stepped in front, off of my guy, to take a charge," he continued. "I was clearly in position. He ran into me with a force that I had not felt in quite some time. My first thought was that I hope I didn't hurt this kid. My next thought was that I hope this ki d didn't hurt me. I was seeing those silver bullets dart across my vision. It stung pretty good. He popped right off the floor and he tried to back me down the other way."

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LeBron flopped because he was too strong

Iman Shumpert is another former Cavs player who also once shared a memorable story about James' physical strength. As per Shumpert, James is guilty of flopping, but he has his own reasons for doing it.

As it turns out, LeBron believes the referees are not convinced that he's getting hit during physical plays, and he blames his God-given strength for it. Shump said that King James himself admitted that upon realizing it, he began flopping just to even it out.

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"The worst thing we had against LeBron was like, 'Bro, why you flopping?' And literally, he started flopping cause he's so strong like, 'Bro, I gotta get these free throws if these people getting free throws. He like, 'Bro, I'm really getting hit.' So, he like, 'I'll sell it for you 'cause they can't see it cause I'm so strong. Y'all can't see me getting fouled,'" Shumpert once revealed.

Related: "When you beat God, you think the job is done" - Shaquille O'Neal shares how beating MJ and the Bulls in the playoffs blew up his ego

LeBron is still powerful at 40

James' innate power and robustness have evidently played an important role in the longevity of his illustrious career. Because of his strength, James is able to dominate the game, as there are only a few players who could really match him on the court.

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At 40 years old, LeBron is still showcasing his otherworldly strength. He could still bulldoze his way to the basket and it makes him still one of the toughest players in the modern-day NBA.

At the same time, it also appears to have led him to explore other ways to gain an advantage over his rivals — through flopping. Even though it's quite hard to believe, it doesn't change the fact that the point i s it makes sense, considering how strong he is.

Related: "If I know you are gonna give me your best rhetoric when you are upset, I'mma make you upset" - Shaq admits he had to be an as-hole to Kobe Bryant if he wanted them to win in the NBA

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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