Throughout NBA history, there have been hundreds of players who have left their mark in one way or the other. Some with their sheer skill, some with their unique style, and some with their accolades. But how do you separate an average star from a generational talent, who eventually enters the coveted GOAT conversation? Many believe the answer is – Championships!
Be it Bill Russell’s eleven rings in thirteen years or Michael Jordan’s 6-0 Finals record, superstars have for long been assessed by their ability to win championships. However, LeBron James is not very fond of the “Ring Culture.” Despite having four chips of his own, he criticized this parameter to assess a player’s greatness on Mind The Game podcast, “I don’t know why it’s discussed so much in our sport and why it’s the end-all, be-all of everything.”
Further strengthening his point, James highlighted legends like Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, and Steve Nash, who never won a ring but are still some of the best to ever play the game. “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 (Patrick) Mahomes because he only has one ring.” Per LeBron, a player’s impact goes far beyond titles. Sure, many viewers resonated with his sentiment. But the ongoing NBA Finals tell a different story.
Amid their thrilling battle, both Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have reiterated multiple times that winning a title is their ultimate goal. “I’ve said all year, our goal is to win a championship.” Hali said after conquering the East. That’s the reason he is putting his health at risk by pushing through a calf injury, only to accomplish his lifelong dream of lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. Per reports, Tyrese’s calf strain is a two-week injury and had it been the regular season, he would surely be sidelined. So, why take the risk? Because CHAMPIONSHIPS MATTER. “I’d beat myself up if I didn’t give it a chance. I just wanted to be out there and fight… I wanna be out there with my brothers to compete.” Hali said following Game 6.
Even SGA expressed how much winning a ring means to him heading into Sunday’s decisive Game 7, “It’s one game for everything we dreamed of. If you win it, you get everything. If you lose it, you get nothing. It’s that simple… We have one game for everything, for everything we’ve worked for.” As much as ring culture gets criticized, whenever players get a chance to add one to their resume, they deem it as a lifelong dream or the ultimate goal. Not only does winning a ring solidify a player’s legacy, but also their franchise’s. That’s why Lakers, with seventeen banners, and Celtics, with eighteen are considered the two most storied organizations in the league. Ironically, LeBron’s legacy would also look a lot different if not for ring culture.
LeBron James’ “GOAT” claim rests on Ring Culture despite public criticism
Well, LBJ’s criticism is understandable because most Jordan supporters use his 4-6 Finals record as an argument in the GOAT debate. While LeBron has solidified himself as the best player in terms of individual stats and accolades, his six finals losses continue to haunt him. He argued, “You automatically dismiss people and their careers when you say, ‘Hey, he didn’t win a ring.’ It’s like, have you actually sat down and looked at this guy’s career and see what he accomplished?”
But while LeBron is critical of the ring culture at this stage of his career, he ironically used the same parameter to deem himself the GOAT seven years ago. During the More Than an Athlete pod, he claimed, “That one right there made me the greatest player of all time.” Of course, James was referring to his historic 2016 title win, where he led the Cavs to the first ever 3-1 Finals comeback to beat a 73-win Warriors squad. “I was super-super ecstatic to win one from Cleveland because of the 52-year drought… That’s probably one of the only times in my career I felt like, ‘Oh s—, like, you did something special.’” Had he lost that series, his GOAT claim might not have held so much weight.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James holds up four fingers after winning his fourth NBA championship after game six of the 2020 NBA Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Another legacy defining moment for LeBron came in 2013, when he beat the Spurs in a seven-game Finals series. Sure, he got saved by Ray Allen’s iconic Game 6 shot to tie the game and force overtime, but it built James’ status in the long haul. There have been other instances where he has used his rings as a crutch to assert his greatness. During an interview, James had this to say about his 2016 and 2020 title wins, “The one thing that I know for sure is that I’ve been a part of two teams that’s won the two hardest championships in NBA league history.”
These heroic feats and bold claims help elevate LeBron’s greatness, and rightfully so. So, to cut down the leg that he himself has stood on multiple times seems a bit hypocritical. Even Stephen A. Smith called him out for this on First Take, “If it (Ring Culture) didn’t mean much or shouldn’t mean much, then why were you so relieved to finally have one. Why did you depart Cleveland to go to Miami and join forces with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to get one? Why did you depart from there to go back to Cleveland?… Now that you’ve got it, all of a sudden, you really don’t understand why it’s of so importance. Nonsense! He understands why.”
As much as LeBron wants to deny it, most of his career moves have been in pursuit of a title. Every evidence hints that rings are important to build not only a player’s but also a franchise’s legacy. And this Sunday, either Haliburton or Shai will solidify theirs by leading their franchise to its maiden title. What is your stance on the Ring Culture debate?
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