June 16, 2013

What Will LeBron's Lasting Legacy Ultimately Be?

By - Lauren Dundee

It goes without saying that LeBron James is one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an NBA court. However, he has forever lived in the shadow of the great Michael Jordan, and comparisons between the two run rampant in most basketball circles.

Will LeBron's legacy eventually replace that of his childhood idol and see him as the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers?

Photo from: espn.go.com
James is attempting to lead the Heat to their second-consecutive championship, with Miami's series against the San Antonio Spurs tied at two games apiece. Exactly how will LBJ's legacy be affected by the outcome of this matchup?

If the Heat manage to repeat, they will become only the sixth team in league history to do so, joining the Bulls, Lakers, Celtics, Pistons and Rockets. If LeBron were to be named the MVP of the Finals for the second year in a row, he would become only the fifth player in history to have won the award in back-to-back seasons, joining Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Hakeem Olajuwon.

That's some pretty elite company.

But what if the Spurs win and James falls to San Antonio's "Big 3" for the second time in his career? Many will say that's it, he can never be considered the best of all time.

I'm not one of those people.

Obviously the amount of rings a player wins isn't the only thing that defines him. If that were the case, Bill Russell would be consider the best ever and Robert Horry would be a legend. So with that in mind, LeBron's legacy will not be ruined if Miami falls short of their ultimate goal.

Just look at the stats. Almost all of LBJ's numbers are better than Jordan's were at the same age, and if you go strictly by statistics through their first ten seasons, LeBron is at minimum up to par with MJ's numbers, if not ahead of him in several categories. No, what will ultimately decide how history remembers "King" James will be a combination of both championships won as well as career stats. Both will play a major role.

Regardless, there's no debating who the greatest player in the league currently is. There is simply no one better than LeBron, who basically does what he wants when he wants to do it every time he steps foot on the court.

History will certainly have its say when the time is right. But for now, sit back and enjoy the show.

5 comments:

  1. If Miami loses this series, LeBron will be Wilt 2.0.

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  2. Real nice picture like lebron bouta get schooled ha

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  3. This series has a small stake in his legacy. For the haters, even if he wins, the games he didn't do good in will stand out moreso than the ring.

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  4. He sealed his legacy of bein a bitch years ago with that decision special he had.

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  5. LeBron didn't have better stats than Mike. I never seen LeBron average 37 ppg or 32 8 and 8 and shoot 53%. He needs to win these next two games or his legacy will he tainted.

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