LeBron James is one of the most proven winners in modern American sports. While his Finals record may be 4-6, there is nobody that has enjoyed domination over their league for as long as LeBron in mostly winning seasons or seasons in which his group overachieved.
This season was not one of those, as LeBron slumped to the worst team record of his 19-year career and missed the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to bounce back from this year’s disappointment, and King James is looking for inspiration wherever he goes.
LBJ got a chance to see the Stanley Cup up close and personal prior to the beginning of their Finals. The Stanley Cup is awarded to the winner of the National Hockey League (NHL) Finals. This year’s finalists are the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
A King meets our crown 👑 #StanleyCup
New episode of #TheShop out now on the @uninterrupted.
Cc: @KingJames pic.twitter.com/RS2uMy0cGO
— NHL (@NHL) June 14, 2022
LeBron touched the trophy, which is something many people believe no athlete should do if they haven’t won the trophy. That superstition is usually applied only by hockey players (for obvious reasons), but it’d be interesting to see if people bring up this superstition during any rough patch in the Lakers season next year.
The Stanley Cup is the oldest league trophy handed out in North America, first awarded in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club. The trophy and the league around it have millions of dollars now, but the prestige around the trophy remains just the same. It has a history rivaled by old soccer leagues in Europe, which is impressive.
LeBron James will not descend upon the rink to play ice hockey anytime soon, but you can see his eyes light up while looking at the trophy. He is intimately familiar with how winning and losing at the highest level feel, so maybe admiring the trophy has given James a kick in his craw to come out firing next season.
