After leading his team to victory in the NBA finals,LeBron James proves he is one of the best basketball players ever
Shortly after his victorious performance in game 7 of the NBA Finals in Miami,Florida,last month,LeBron James sat at a postgame press conference and said,I want to be,if not the greatest,one of the greatest to ever play this game. And I will continue to work for that… and continue to put on this uniform and be the best I can be every night.
Everyone seems to have a definition and explanation for what makes a professional athlete great. Great athletes score a certain amount of points per game. They consistently lead with passion and never falter. They never let anyone down and never make mistakes. They win championships,and not just one championship. Great players bring home several championships.
But what makes an athlete truly great? Does anyone have the definitive answer? The term greatness is thrown around as though everyone is in the market to find the next sports savior. People are quick to set the parameters of athletic greatness with an unfaltering measuring stick,often driven solely by facts and figures,research and analysis. Shots taken versus shots made.
It could be argued that James has a long way to go in the statistics department. He only has two championships and NBA Finals MVP titles. Comparing him to the likes of Michael Jordan,who racked up six Finals titles and Finals MVP titles,all while never allowing a game 7 from his opponents,inevitably condemns James to a losing position. Another remarkable NBA athlete,Kobe Bryant,played a major role in bringing home five NBA titles home to Los Angeles,all while making 15 All-Star Game appearances so far.
But everyone seems to be overlooking two important factors when discussing greatness. The first is that comparison in and of itself,when looking through a historic lens,is tricky. If we measure greatness that way,James will never win the Jordan argument. He cant actually play against Jordan. As for Bryant,there is still a lot of game to be played between the two.
Second,everyone,sports fan and casual observer alike,has a different definition of what makes an athlete great. Lets not forget,James never gives up. Padded stats or not,James would never quit on his team. The Miami Heat were down 13 points in game 6,minutes away from losing it all to the San Antonio Spurs,before James tore off his headband and became the clutch player everyone knows and has come to depend upon. He may not have summoned the killer instinct many of the past greats have possessed,but he would sooner retire than let his team down. He fought through to the final seconds of the series.
Maybe thats what makes James great. He goes down and up fighting. And lest we forget,he is not even close to the end of his career. Also consider: James will shake an opponents hand at the end of a game,even when hes angry. He will honour and thank his teammates and hometown when he accepts the league MVP award. These attributes dont have a place in the box score,but theyre significant all the same.
All things considered,James is well on his way to greatness,if hes not already there. Whether or not his image has forever been tarnished by the infamous saga of his transfer to the Heat,he will always,with his drive and unselfish manner of play,be capable of greatness. James acknowledges his flaws and embraces humility on and off the court. And,in the end,perhaps thats what greatness is really about.
The writer is senior associate director for SportsCenter and NBA studio shows at ESPN Los Angeles
