In the NBA, winning a Championship will usually improve a player’s legacy, not the other way around. Greatness, after all, is measured by results, and winning a ring is the greatest prize of all.
With LeBron James on the cusp of winning his fourth Championship (his first with the Lakers), many see it as the moment he will finally take the mantle as the greatest basketball player of All-Time.
But for FOX Sports analyst Skip Bayless, he sees it as an indictment on his claim to the crown. Here’s what he said on Undisputed:
“This cakewalk of a Finals victory actually hurts LeBron’s farfetched GOAT case more than it helps him. This is an epic mismatch. This ring should be made of cubic zirconium because this one had a big old asterisk beside it.
Michael Jordan never had a path this easy to a ring and, obviously, you have even agreed with this: has never had a Finals opponent as weak as the Miami Heat — the fifth seed in the leastern conference. I’m sorry, this is disqualified. You saw it from the start, it should have been a sweep, you know it and I know it.”
https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1313881737164926984
There is no denying that LeBron’s level of competition this year has been pretty lax compared to his previous titles and any of Jordan’s runs. In Round 1, he went up against a Portland team that was at the end of their rope having fought and clawed their way for weeks just to get a spot in the playoffs.
In Round 2, the Lakers faced a Rockets squad that was easily exploited for their lack of size and interior defense.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Purple and Gold were able to avoid the Clippers and instead faced the Nuggets, who lacked the experience and talent to secure a title.
And now, against this 5-seeded Heat team, they find themselves up 3-1 having dominated for most of the entire series. The fact is, LeBron James and the Lakers faced a lot of teams this year who were just unequipped to give them a real challenge.
The path this year, however, presented new challenges that no MJ team ever faced. A worldwide pandemic caused the suspension of the season, which then had to be continued in quarantine with no fans, no family, and limited freedom.
To L.A.’s credit, they were able to overcome those challenges fairly well.
In the end, it’s all a matter of perspective. This season has been wild and wacky for everyone and although the weight of this Championship may be debatable the winner still deserves major credit for the victory — even if that winner will try and use it to make his case for being the GOAT.
