It’s no secret that LeBron James is one of the greatest players in the history of not only basketball, but all of professional sports. James has consistently defied the odds, time in and time out, on and off the court. From his upbringing in a single parent household in Akron, Ohio to becoming the best high school prospect in history to now 20 years later he is officially the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Say what you want about LeBron, but the man is undeniably one of the biggest success stories in American history.
Yet despite all of his successes as a player, the one mountain many say he’s yet to climb is the race to overtake Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all-time. James himself has embraced the Jordan comparisons since day one, calling himself, “The Chosen One” and wearing the number 23 for both of his tenures in Cleveland. If that’s not enough to convince you that he cares about it, don’t forget his famous quote back in 2016 after defeating the record setting 73 win Golden State Warriors in response to what’s next for his career he stated, “I’m chasing the ghost in Chicago.” There’s no mistake who that ghost in Chicago is.
Michael Jordan’s career is synonymous with winning, as his 6 championships with 6 Finals MVPs while going undefeated and no game sevens is a resume worthy of being called the greatest. Unfortunately though, many seem to act like James is simply chopped liver and doesn’t deserve to sit at the table which is beyond laughable at this point and quite frankly, insulting. LeBron is the only player in NBA history that has won 3 championships with 3 different teams as the Finals MVP. James is top 5 all-time in total assists as a small forward and is the all-time leading playoff scorer. What LeBron has done even preceding this accomplishment of becoming the all-time scorer in NBA history was enough to cement his greatness.
Appreciating LeBron James greatness is something that gets lost in so many of these conversations. James is 38 years old, in his 20th NBA season and is averaging 30 points per game. The longevity of this man’s career is unparalleled and almost, “Brady-esque” if you will. When James decides to hang it up, not only will the landscape of the NBA change, but the sports world as a whole will never be the same. So whether you believe he’s the greatest or not, it really doesn’t matter, just make sure you appreciate and understand that his greatness is something you only see once every generation.
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