LeBron James Slams ‘Ring Culture in NBA’, Provides Examples of Players Who Never Won Championship
Any athlete’s career is showcased in terms of accolades and awards he or she has won during and for their active careers. Yes, winning is everything in the sport and especially in the NBA, the players’ legacies are decided over the ‘number of rings’ (Championships). But the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar LeBron James questions the same, calling the ‘ring culture in the NBA’ a problem.
Currently enjoying the ‘off-season’, LBJ was in talks with former Laker player and NBA coach Steve Nash on a ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. He was often compared to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in the GOAT discussions. While LeBron has won 4 titles in his 22 years in the league, fans and critics use MJ’s 6 championships to put the Bulls’ guard over LeBron in the GOAT discussion. Kobe also has won 5 titles, and several other accolades, putting him in the GOAT conversations. LeBron James raises questions on the ’ring culture in the NBA’, and even gave examples to support his stand.
“I don’t know why it’s discussed so much in our sport and why it’s the end-all-be-all of everything. You tell me Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Steve Nash weren’t f**** unbelievable? They can’t be talked about with these guys because they won rings? It’s like saying Peyton Manning can’t be in the same room with Tom Brady or Mahomes because he only has one ring. They don’t ever discuss that in their sport. Of telling me Dan Marino is not the greatest slinger of All-Time because he didn’t win a championship., They don’t discuss those things. Barry Bonds never won a World Series, and you can’t sit here and tell me that he’s not the greatest baseball player to ever touch a bat.”
There are countless examples throughout sports history of superstar athletes in the NBA failing to meet expectations in the playoffs. The list includes baseball legends like Barry Bonds and former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. It also includes Jerry West, who only won one championship despite nine trips with the Lakers and even the NBA logo is dedicated to the Lakers’ guard.
“Jerry West went to like nine straight NBA Finals and was only able to win one ring. And he’s the logo of our league,” said James. “So you can’t sit here and tell me that, okay, because he only won one, the guy can’t be in the same room with the guy who won two or three or four. Like, why not?”
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Legacy of LeBron James Beyond NBA Championships
Yes, NBA Championships do matter as players and fans wish to have their names and their teams’ names in the history books. But King James has an incredible career beyond his four championships, putting him in the elite list of players.
LBJ is a 4x MVP, 21x All-Star, and 21x All-NBA player, and made it to the NBA finals 10 times. LeBron was the league’s scoring champion (2006), assists champion (2020) and won gold medals for the USA National team. His average hardly dropped below 24 points after his rookie season, and he has a career average of over 7 assists and 7 rebounds. This itself is a great career that any pro basketball player would be pleased with – if he or she has not won a title.
While LBJ is an exception (and hence in the GOAT discussion), the same cannot be said for most NBA players. Many spend their entire careers hoping to make a title run, and even some of the game’s top performers failed to capture that elusive Larry O’Brien trophy. And hence, instead of discrediting their greatness or downplaying their achievements, LeBron wants to see the narrative shift.
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