P.K. Subban ruffled some feathers during his appearance on ESPN’s First Take on Monday while discussing Alexander Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal and where it ranked among the greatest records in all of professional sports. But he seemingly has no plans of backing down from his take on the matter.
Monday’s edition of First Take quickly turned into Subban downplaying the all-time NBA points record of LeBron James, claiming that he never “instilled fear” in his opponents like Ovechkin or some of the greats of the NBA like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.
Additionally, Subban claimed that the two records are “not comparable” due to the increased physicality in the NHL compared to the NBA.
Most sports fans prefer to simply celebrate the two records individually and not pit them against one another. But clearly, Subban appears determined to defend the physicality and toughness of play in the NHL.
During the first intermission of Thursday’s matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals on ESPN+, Subban’s moment on First Take was shown on the broadcast.
This prompted him to double down on his argument that Ovechkin’s record is more impressive than James’, arguing that one of the only records he believes is comparable is Jerry Rice’s career touchdowns record in the NFL.
“Jerry Rice’s touchdowns? That’s something that is actually a little bit more similar,” Subban told Steve Levy. “I would say a wide receiver’s touchdowns would be more similar to a hockey player. Because you have got a guy charging at you. You have got to worry about defensive players taking your head off.
“Barry Bonds, you spoke about, doesn’t have to worry about getting hit. LeBron James doesn’t have to worry about getting hit. So it’s different. For me, this record has got to be the most difficult. It’s not the points record. The points record, to me, can be a little bit easier. You get secondary assists, it’s a little bit different of an award.
“When you score goals, I don’t care if you have got guys passing it to you. It’s all based on you. You have to put your body in harm’s way. You have to get into the dirty areas. You can’t score 895 goals just from one spot. He has scored a lot of goals from there. But he’s scored a lot of goals too, around the net, in the slot, in those dirty areas. That’s what you have got to think about is the physicality that goes with that. Ovi is top three in hits all-time and is probably going to be the all-time hits leader. He’s 6’3”, 250 pounds. This guy… The size in which he was to be able to play this long and be this consistent. I mean, 40 goals this year Levs. Broke his leg, came back, and scored 40.”
During intermission of tonight’s Hurricanes-Capitals game, ESPN+ reaired a part of P.K. Subban’s Alexander Ovechkin-LeBron James argument.
Subban feels the same way.
“Barry Bonds doesn’t have to worry about getting hit. LeBron James doesn’t have to worry about getting hit.” pic.twitter.com/8BuFwNb8gj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 11, 2025
One can argue that Subban has a point in that football and hockey are more comparable sports when it comes to all-time records and the importance of longevity due to the physicality in both sports.
But with that being said, is it really necessary to rip players like Barry Bonds and LeBron James, two all-time great players in their respective sports, to prop up Ovechkin’s impressive accomplishment?
Most sports fans understand that Ovechkin’s record speaks for itself and doesn’t need someone like Subban to bash other great players in other sports to make it look better.
Clearly, P.K. Subban disagrees. So while hockey fans may appreciate his support for Ovechkin and his record, he sure hasn’t gained any more fans from other sports in the past couple of days.
