While he has firmly established his status as one of the greatest players in basketball history, LeBron James' recent comments on 'ring culture' have sparked some backlash.
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MIAMI, FL - JUNE 21: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat answers questions from the media next to the Larry O'Brien Finals Championship trophy and James' Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy during his post game press conference after they won 121-106 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the 2012 NBA Finals on June 21, 2012 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.
For 20 years, LeBron James has been the face of the NBA. James has won four championships, most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers, and holds the title of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. While he has firmly established his status as one of the greatest players in basketball history, James’ recent comments on the NBA’s ‘ring culture’ have sparked some backlash.
On the latest episode of his Mind The Game podcast with former MVP Steve Nash, James questioned why people view winning championships as the sole marker for success in the league.
“I don’t know why it’s discussed so much in our sport and why it’s the end-all-be-all of everything,” James said on his recent podcast episode. “A ring is a team accomplishment.”
James is a four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP, with a total of ten NBA Finals appearances in his 22 seasons.
James Doesn’t Like ‘Ring Culture’ In The NBA
While still a factor, James said that winning titles isn’t the sole determinant of greatness and success. He provided examples of NBA players who never won a title, but their accomplishments throughout their careers are strong enough to have them listed alongside other all-time greats.
“You tell me Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Steve Nash weren’t unbelievable?” James said. “They can’t be talked about with these guys because they won rings?”
James also gave other examples in other professional sports. While the conversation might differ in individual sports like golf and tennis, he believes the ‘ring culture’ conversation isn’t consistent in the other major team sports.
“It’s like saying Peyton Manning can’t be in the same room with (Tom) Brady or (Patrick) Mahomes because he only has one ring. They don’t ever discuss that in their sport,” James added. “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.”
James said that he feels like the ‘ring culture’ conversation centers on him and his legacy in the NBA.
“Trying to nitpick an individual because he was not able to win a team game,” James said. “I don’t know where it started. It’s a long conversation, especially when it comes to me individually.”
NBA Analysts Respond To James
On ESPN’s Get Up, Brian Windhorst responded to James’ recent comments on ‘ring culture’. He said that while he agrees championships shouldn’t define a player’s career, James himself may have contributed to the very issue he is now criticizing.
“LeBron contributed to this with his movement in his career to join super teams,” Windhorst said. “In that situation, he sort of set a standard to change the conversation.”
On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith disagreed with Windhorst that James has been ‘devalued’ in his career. However, he acknowledged that James’ career moves may have played a part in fueling the rise of ‘ring culture’ in the NBA.
“Why did you depart Cleveland to go to Miami and join forces with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to get one? Why did you depart from there to go back to Cleveland?” Smith said. “LeBron only went back to Cleveland for one reason. To resurrect his reputation and his stature.”
James has won two championships with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and one with the Los Angeles Lakers. His four Finals MVP awards are the second-most of all-time behind only Jordan, and his eight straight Finals appearances from 2011 to 2018 is the longest streak in the history of the NBA.
The NBA ‘GOAT’ debate has been a frequent topic of conversation and will likely remain a talking point for a long time to come. Whether it is James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, or Bill Russell, championships will always play a part in that conversation.