LeBron James Discussion: Not Returning To The Lakers

Different perspective. I agree with that.

 

LeBron will never be the GOAT. In what Bizzaro world does the GOAT lose more than he wins? Now if you wanna argue that he has the GSOAT (greatest stats of all time), then I will concede that title to him.

I will also acknowledge him as the greatest player over 32 years old of all time.

 

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It sort of goes with "The Elderly" in the title of this thread. The GOAT of old players.

 

Agreed with most here. KAJ is the GOAT basketball player and always will be. Take his whole body of work. Look at what he did in high school at Power (71 straight wins), look what he did at UCLA where the NCAA outlawed the dunk because of him (LOL!) - his freshman team beat the championship Varsity team, and then he won three straight championships (3 time MVP of the tourney - record). Then he came in and killed it in the NBA with the most unstoppable shot ever conceived, 6 rings, record 19 time All Star, 15 time All NBA, 11 time All Defensive Team, record 6 MVP's, 20 year career and most points of all time. Michael Jordan? Nah. Kareem is simply the greatest to ever play. Lebron isn't even in the conversation.

 

The only point I disagree with is that LeBron isn't in the conversation. I believe the conversation is long, but there's tiers to this and LeBron has entered the upper tiers of the sport. I don't think that can be denied.

I think up top you've got the long-term successes: Jordan, Kareem, Kobe, Magic, Russell, Duncan, and LeBron.

After that you have the high reachers: Shaq, Baylor, Hakeem, Malone, Stockton, West, Wilt, Garnett, Bird, Pippen, Dr. J, Oscar Robertson, Worthy, Maravich. (Durant, Curry on this list probably by the time it's over, could even go higher). Wade might be in this list, it's debatable.

The next tier down limited success, but great talent: Barkley, Carter, Iverson, Chris Paul, Isiah Thomas, Dirk Nowitzki, Ewing, Clyde, The Admiral, Kidd, Nash, Hayes, Wilkins, Westbrook, Bill Walton, The Pearl, Willy Reed, Bob Pettit, Kevin McHale, Parish, Payton, Moses. (I'm sure I'm missing a ton here, please fill in if I did).

When a guy gets to 8 straight Finals, that's next level success. Only Russell did that and he did it in the 60s when there were literally 8 teams in the NBA at the time. He deserves to be mentioned up there among the greatest who have been in the NBA whether we like it or not. Ranking one against the other once you get that high up is always difficult. Kobe has more points than Jordan and went to more Finals. Duncan's sustained success with fairly limited tools is amazing. Magic was the greatest playmaker the league has ever seen. Jordan never lost once he got there. Russell has more success than any player ever. Kareem has better numbers than all of them. For me Kareem is the greatest, but I couldn't be mad if you argued any of the other guys over him.

 

Agreed, except I'd be mad if someone argued Lebron over Kareem. That's ludicrous to me. The Leastern Conference has been extraordinarily weak while he's made this run so the 8 straight appearances sounds a whole lot better than it is. Lebron's an exceptional athlete (although it's pretty clear he's on 'roids which taints his achievements to me) and he's going down as ONE of the greatest no doubt. But he's not in the convo with Kareem and MJ to me. If he wins this year with this roster? Maybe so.

 

The vast majority of modern elite athletes are on PEDS. Steroids, SARMS and other chemical substances that enhance their performance. It's not just bodybuilders and big/muscular guys in general.

 

If he wins this year with this roster, I'm pretty inclined to call him the greatest. That'd be... a ridiculous concept. Can you imagine Kobe 07 (but older Kobe, not prime Kobe) beating the Warriors as built right now? I can't even fathom it. If LeBron isn't swept, I'll be surprised.