Why LeBron James Doesn’t Need To Win Another NBA Championship

With the Miami Heat trailing the San Antonio Spurs 3-2 after five games in the 2013 NBA Finals, one player returns to South Beach with all the pressure squarely on his shoulders: LeBron James.

King James is widely considered — and you’d be a fool to disagree — to be the best basketball player on the planet. His combination of athleticism, strength, height, speed and basketball IQ has never seen before. He is capable of blowing by or out-jumping players taller or bigger than him; he can outmuscle or look over players quicker and shorter than him; and he can outsmart defenses that are specifically designed to slow him down. In a nutshell, LeBron James can do everything and anything he wants on a basketball court.

However, since first setting foot in the league as an 18-year-old, there has always been one area of his game routinely criticized by the media. LBJ often seems to dwindle away in big moments. It’s something that Nike even poked fun at in their first national LeBron commercial in which LeBron seemingly freezes when he receives the ball in his first game. There have been moments throughout his career where James essentially wilted in the spotlight (’07 NBA Finals ’10 Eastern Conference Semifinals, ’11 NBA Finals). But he wasn’t the first superstar to fold under the bright lights and he certainly won’t be the last, either.

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In 2011-12, the world was greeted with a new LeBron. A scowl replaced his famous smile. Consistent rim attacks replaced his passive demeanor late in games. Unstoppable post moves replaced his perimeter game. In the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron carried the Heat, dominating the Celtics with averages of 34 points on 54 percent shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 4.2 dimes, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals a night. At the end of the year, confetti poured down on American Airlines Arena and King James finally had a ring.

After defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the Finals, James said four words that effectively summed up his career: “It’s about damn time.” And he was right; it was about time that James won a title, about time he cemented himself at the top of the game, about time for all his naysayers and critics to eat crow.

Still the haters held their own grudges against LeBron, citing that his ring only came because of the lockout-shortened season and him teaming up with stars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. But basketball has never been about one guy. All-time greats like Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton and Charles Barkley were never able to win it all. Ewing had Pat Riley as a coach and John Starks at his side and couldn’t get one. Barkley had Kevin Johnson and didn’t win. Payton had sharp-shooting Detlef Schrempf and the high-flying Shawn Kemp and didn’t get it done. Malone and Stockton were on the same damn team. The most talented team doesn’t always win the championship.

Keep reading to hear why LeBron doesn’t ever have to be Michael Jordan…

King James finally crossed the threshold, stringing together one of the best seasons in NBA history. He averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists a game and shot 53.1 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from deep (percentages he improved on this season) and had a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 30.7 (which is actually only the fourth-highest PER of his career). In just 10 seasons, James has had an impact on the game that only the best of the best can match.

James has essentially revolutionized the game. The rise in “small-ball” lineups can be directly traced back to when the Heat moved James to the power forward position. During his career, James has played every position on the floor from point guard to center.

It’s not just a national appeal that James has. He is also one of the most well-known global athletes. He has two All-Star MVPs, five All-Defensive First Teams, seven All-NBA First Teams, four MVPs, one NBA Finals MVP and a Rookie of the Year award. He was an intricate part of the resurgence of Team USA’s dominance in the Olympics, bringing home the gold in 2012 and 2008. On teams that had players like Wade, Bosh, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony, LBJ was the brightest of all the stars.

LeBron James will never be Michael Jordan; he doesn’t have that killer instinct MJ did. LeBron James will never be Magic Johnson; he doesn’t have the same charisma. LeBron James will never be Kobe Bryant; he doesn’t have five rings. LeBron is something else entirely.

He has faced pressure, hype and expectations so great that nothing was ever going to be enough. He has been in the national spotlight before he could legally vote. I’m sure he would like nothing more than to win Games 6 and 7 against the Spurs and repeat as a champion, but if he doesn’t, his legend has already been cemented. At just 27 years old, James is nowhere near the end of his career. But if another 10 seasons passed and he never got to hold the Larry O’Brien trophy again, it wouldn’t dent the legacy he leaves behind.

What do you think?

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