The second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Michael Beasley, recently reflected on the reason that ruined his NBA career. While the 35-year-old blamed the Miami Heat and New York Knicks coaches for his downfall in the NBA, he claimed he could’ve taken the Knicks to the Playoffs with the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., and other star players.
In his recent appearance on the “Club 520 Podcast” with Jeff Teague, the 6-foot-9 former Knicks star claimed he spent his entire NBA career playing out of position. Beasley blamed NBA coaches for ruining his career during his 11 years in the league.
He played the 2017-18 season with the Knicks and stated that he could’ve taken the team to the playoffs with his fellow stars if the franchise had played him in the point guard position. Michael Beasley said, “With Porzingis, Tim Hardaway, and Courtney Lee, I could’ve made that a playoff team. I was playing out of position. If they had played me at 2 guard, fronted with Jarrett Jack, I would’ve been better…”
He added, “I’ve been playing out of position my whole career. You play me at the 1, 2, or 3, I’m bigger. I’m better on defense. Now I had somebody to play pick and roll with. I could’ve run a great pick-and-roll game with Kyle O’Quinn and Kristaps Porzingis. But Jeff (Hornacek) was on the hot seat, and Porzingis didn’t really know how to play good basketball. I was just playing basketball, so that situation was trash, man.”
Michael Beasley Weighed-In On G.O.A.T Debate
While the former Kansas State star accused the NBA coaches of playing him out of position throughout his career, he also discussed the comparison between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. During the podcast, he weighed in on the G.O.A.T. debate, including the Lakers star and the Chicago Bulls legend.
He said, “I feel like people that stan Michael Jordan as the GOAT, like no disrespect, but y’all just holding on to old feelings, you know what I’m saying? Like, [LeBron James] got 40,000 (points) right now and counting. Yeah, and dog, you seen his resume.”
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Due to his high draft pick, Beasley was among the highly anticipated NBA players ahead of his debut. However, he failed to establish his name in the league and joined the Chinese Basketball League in 2019. He last played for the Shanghai Sharks in 2022.
Also Read: LeBron James’s Agent Opens Up About Why Michael Beasley Hasn’t Played In The NBA Since Five Years
