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LeBron James subtly tells us again that he’s the greatest ever

By Criss Partee

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 11: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with his MVP trophy and Finals trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 11: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with his MVP trophy and Finals trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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LeBron James makes the case for being the greatest NBA champion ever

This narrative conjured up by LeBron James, that he has been part of the two hardest won championships in NBA history, must be halted immediately. In part because this is James’ subtle way of staking his claim as the G.O.A.T. publicly, again, which he does not need to say after each championship victory.

Come on, who are you trying to convince, the world, or yourself?

James has more than solidified his spot among the pantheon of all-time greats to have graced the NBA’s hardwood. Furthermore, every time James feels the need to dub himself the “G.O.A.T.” what he does, is nothing more than a disservice to himself and his career accomplishments.

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James had this to say on the Road Trippin’ podcast:

"“I’ve been a part of two teams that’s won the two hardest championships in NBA league history,” James said. “The 2016 Cavs coming back from 3-1 versus a 73-9 team, being down 3-1 versus one of the best teams ever been assembled. … And then what we went through in the bubble. And if you were not in the bubble, you don’t quite understand it. You will never, ever understand how hard it was to win that championship, to be able to motivate yourself to be out of—this is literally out of your whole comfort zone. No family. I didn’t see my family for eight-and-a-half weeks.”"

For his detractors, these comments do nothing but fan the flames, and serve as fuel for their arguments against James being the G.O.A.T.

Some still make the argument for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being in the G.O.A.T. conversation with James and Michael Jordan, but for most, it is a two-man race at this point. Jordan or LeBron? Let’s, not go down that rabbit hole today, though.

James’ 2016, and 2020 championships, should be considered in the conversation of hardest championships won in league history. Sure, that is fine. But for him to say this in such a definitive manner is not only self-aggrandizing but quite shortsighted in all honesty.

Coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the 2016 NBA Finals against a 73-9 Golden State Warriors team is one hell of a feat. Big three vs. big three, some would, and did take James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love over Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Accomplishing something for the first time does not automatically make it the most difficult.

The 2020 bubble championship in Orlando will likely be placed into a category of its own by most as no one had ever gone through such an experience while attempting to win a championship, and hopefully never will again. Some may question the validity and overall difficulty of the 2020 NBA championship. You will not get that argument here.

As for the hardest NBA Finals ever won, this conversation is one that could go on forever. But here are a couple more options for you to ponder.

In 1983, Moses Malone, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, and the Philadelphia 76ers briefly interrupted the dynasty of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s.

Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets entered the 1995 NBA playoffs as the sixth seed out west. The Rockets, went on to defeat the top three seeds in the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and San Antonio Spurs. All three teams were led by Hall of Famers and top 50 all-time greats. Olajuwon’s Rockets then swept the east’s number one seeded, Orlando Magic in the Finals. The Magic were led by Shaquille O’Neal (another Hall of Famer) and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. That sounds like a pretty tall order the Rockets had to fulfill in 1995.

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An argument can certainly be made for all these examples, but to definitively say one is ahead of the others without first analyzing each run, shows a lack of diligence. James is also considered a student of the game and one who knows the history of the league. So, we shall chalk this up to recency bias, for now.

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