Heading into tomorrow night’s Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals, there are a number of narratives unfolding. Are the Spurs the most boring dynastic team of all time? Where does Greg Popovich rank in terms of all-time coaching greats? Could this be Tim Duncan’s last Finals appearance? Why can’t the Heat rebound? Does Chris Bosh realize he is almost seven feet tall? What is up with Dwayne Wade’s face?
There is one more question that has been more prevalent after the Heat’s two consecutive blowout losses: What will another Finals loss mean for LeBron James’ legacy?
This reminds of of John Cena’s legacy on the line at Wrestlemania 30. For all he – like James – had accomplished in around the same time frame, it made no sense. Nothing was really on the line there, and LeBron has nothing on the line here.
LeBron James Legacy
LeBron has shown he can be dominant with his four MVP awards, two Larry O’Brien trophies, two Finals MVPs, and the 2003 Rookie of the Year award. Don’t forget, he was also a force on not one but two Olympic gold medalist teams that changed the culture of USA Basketball. He has more sponsorships than fingers. He’d never need another check from the league to live comfortably with as many endorsements as he has. James’ goal of becoming a global icon isn’t as far-fetched as it had once seemed.
And that’s coming from someone who isn’t even a LeBron James fan. Sure, I respect his game/abilities and he has awe-inspiring moments that make your jaw drop. Yet there is a huge divide between that and being a self-proclaimed fan. James has accomplished more than most already and his career trajectory as of 2014 seems almost limitless. Magic Johnson lost four NBA Finals. Larry Bird lost two. Losing an NBA Finals for “The King” at this point is career should not have an effect what he has already done.
Once again, people will bring up MJ- “But Michael Jordan went 6-6 in the Finals.”
Jordan is the exception to the rule. It’s incredibly unfair to compare his legacy in that regard to James’. Jordan won six titles in eight seasons. The two he didn’t win? He was trying his hand at baseball and busy making Space Jam. To get to the absolute top of the mountain three times in a row, twice in eight years is something we will likely never see again. The level of competition greatly improved from Bill Russell’s day (8 titles in a row, 9 in a decade, 11 total) to Jordan’s…and in 2014 that level of dominance is almost unfathomable.
Now if he had all the individual greatness and no rings to show after five appearances? Be my guest. After a learning his lessons in 2007 and 2011, James used those experiences to help carry the Heat to back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. The difference right now is the Spurs are simply better, and no coaching or strategy Miami has used so far can stop them. Maybe the Heat can still put a few wins together and salvage something in this series, but if they end up losing it should not be used as ammunition against the greatest player of his generation.
After all, not many players can lay claim to that title. On SportsCenter, the topic of the effect on James’ legacy was even accompanied by the follow-up of whether or not James would still belong on the Mount Rushmore of NBA greats: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. That notion is even more preposterous, as James has a significant about of time left to add to his already stellar career. What James will accomplish in the future can not come in to play here. Potential greatness has no bearing on possibly being an NBA legend- just ask Tracy McGrady.
McGrady at one time was thought to be the next great superstar, but was derailed by always coming up short when he was able to play. When he wasn’t able to, back and knee injuries stole the rest of his career. He was an elite scorer with incredibly rare abilities, but it never matched his potential greatness.
If that was a determining factor in whether or not James made the elite group of four, then of course he’d be on it. But there is just too much time left to cement him to it. The likelihood of him being on there is high, but I’d rather put Kareem Abdul Jabbar on it- or Bill Russell. That’s just me, though. It’s an argument that can never truly be solved (like most) due to the subjectivity of it all.
The ironic thing is there are two options here with two clearly different effects on Lebron James legacy. LeBron could go against all odds and turn on his own version of “beast mode” for three straight games to win his third Finals in a row. That would unarguably be a legendary run in any Finals for any player. Or he could lose just one of those three games and his legacy will stay just the same.
Of course the all-too-famous haters/trolls will come out in full force and use anything they can get their hands….or eyes on. The 24/7 media blitz that accompanies anything and everything these days will be able to muster up many a reason to question LeBron’s legacy. You just aren’t going to find it here.
Want more NBA? Click here. Need to prep for the NBA Draft? Click here.
For more on sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @SeanNeutron. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and “liking” our Facebook page.
