Now can we all settle for merely appreciating the amazing things he does on the court instead of debating his legacy after every shot?
Wishful thinking, I know, but I just had to ask.
Here’s the full quote, via cleveland.com:
"Seriously, what else would I have [to do]?" James said. "I've won championships, I won my first one and I've won for my teammates, I came home and won. There isn't anything I have left to prove."
Hard to argue with that.
In the meantime, keep this in mind: He's not catching Michael Jordan this year. Or next year. Probably not the year after that, either.
While both are peerless on the court for their all-around games, only one is 6-0 in the NBA Finals.
That is how we collectively defined Jordan as being the best, not because he was unequivocally a better all-around player than Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Dr. J., Kobe, etc.
Can't change the rules now.
There’s no shame in being No. 2, though. He’s still damn fun to watch as he regularly performs awe-inspiring feats on the floor and above it.
You can even go ahead and call LeBron 1B if you want, but surpassing Jordan is going to be next-to-impossible since he’s already lost four Finals even though he’s played exclusively for hand-picked super teams since 2010.
Forgive the first Finals loss in Cleveland because his team was overmatched and the second one with the Cavs because of injuries, but he’s still got the pair of disappointments with his mercenaries in Miami. No grading on a curve there, when even with essentially two Scottie Pippens he batted only .500.
I love that he came home. It's great he delivered a championship for Cleveland.
Overcoming a 3-1 deficit against a historically great team last year? That is the type of thing that can offset a previous failure, but it does not wipe the slate clean.
And even if it did, there’s still the inconvenient truth that three is not six. Neither is four. Five? You guessed it: Also not six.
Atlanta Hawks v Charlotte Hornets
Get back to me when LeBron gets there. Then he’ll only be one away from having a really good argument again.
For now just drink it all in — ignoring the haters and apologists alike.
It’s not like he has anything else to prove anyway.
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