The NBA is a league full of the most talented basketball players in the world. Some players are more naturally gifted than others, but what truly sets the greatest apart from the rest is their constant desire to win. Michael Jordan became the GOAT because he was obsessed with winning, and the man that’s come closest to challenging him since he retired is cut from the same cloth.
LeBron James has won a lot at every level in his life. He was arguably the greatest prospect to ever enter the league in terms of hype after high school. And LeBron delivered on it, too, having been to the NBA Finals 10 times. He has 4 championships to his name, to go along with 4 Finals MVPs and multiple MVPs, there is simply no doubting LeBron as one of the greatest individual performers in the history of basketball.
But the need to win defines him as much as it does any other candidates for the mantle of GOAT. James has spoken about his desire to win in a recent episode of The Shop before going on to explain his frustration at times when his teammates are not on the same page as him.
(starts at 7:46 minutes):
“Like, it’s time when I was I was like a tennis player or a golfer, where it was literally like, look in the mirror, ‘Motherf**ker, it’s you versus you.'”
The issue with team sports for superstars can be that they get frustrated on bad teams. James has carried his fair share of rosters devoid of talent, his first stint with Cleveland is an example of when LeBron barely had any help when going up against the best teams of that era.
The unique blend of talent and athletic skill James possesses is impossible to replicate; there is a reason he’s considered a once-in-a-lifetime player. So, of course, his standards for teammates will likely be higher. The hope will be that the Lakers roster this season under Darvin Ham can step up to a level where James can once again compete towards the end of the season.
