Winning is everything in the NBA, and even the legacies of the greatest NBA superstars can be reduced to an afterthought in the eyes of the community. For LeBron James, this narrative is the wrong approach to have about NBA basketball and exemplifies everything that’s wrong with NBA discourse.
“I don’t know why it’s discussed so much in our sport and why it’s the end-all-be-all of everything,” said James on the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. “You tell me Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Steve Nash weren’t f**** unbelievable? They can’t be talked about with these guys because they won rings? It’s like saying Peyton Manning can’t be in the same room with Tom Brady or Mahomes because he only has one ring. They don’t ever discuss that in their sport. Of telling me Dan Marino is not the greatest slinger of All-Time because he didn’t win a championship., They don’t discuss those things. 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.”
There are countless examples throughout sports history of superstar athletes failing to meet expectations in the playoffs. The list includes baseball legends like Barry Bonds and former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. It also includes the NBA logo itself, Jerry West, who only won one championship despite nine trips with the Lakers.
“Jerry West went to like nine straight NBA Finals and was only able to win one ring. And he’s the logo of our league,” said James. “So you can’t sit here and tell me that, okay, because he only won one, the guy can’t be in the same room with the guy who won two or three or four. Like, why not?”
As a 4x NBA champion, LeBron has nothing left to prove as a player, and his legacy as a winner is already secured. As a 4x MVP, 21x All-Star, and 21x All-NBA player, he has already seen the ultimate success, and he knows what it takes to get there.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for most NBA players. Many spend their entire careers hoping to make a title run, and even some of the game’s top performers (like Steve Nash, Charles Barkley, and Chris Paul) failed to capture that elusive Larry O’Brien trophy.
Instead of discrediting their greatness or downplaying their achievements, LeBron wants to see the narrative shift. He believes that the game’s top players should be celebrated and respected enough to look beyond the ring count. Unlike the MVP, statistical averages, or All-NBA selection, championships are not meant for individual recognition.
Titles can only be won as a team, and many variables at play determine the outcome of a Finals series. For LeBron, what matters is whether the star can step up when it counts and come through for his team whenever they need it. Win or lose, a true superstar and leader will make their impact felt in many ways, and they deserve the proper recognition, even if they fail to ultimately win a title.
