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The LeBron vs. Jordan debate has picked up steam for the 1,932,829th time as James has taken a team of YMCA scrubs to his ninth NBA Finals. Harping on legacy during James’ miraculous run is like looking at the Grand Canyon through a Snapchat filter–why worry about how its perceived rather than just enjoy the view? But sports talk shows need debates and the tired LeBron/Jordan circular argument raises blood pressures and provides seemingly endless points of examination that we’re all too familiar with.
ESPN’s Rachel Nichols sat down with the world’s best player and asked him how the outcome of this NBA Finals will reflect on his legacy. Mind you, LeBron has never been a bigger underdog for this Finals and Vegas is giving the Cavs as much of a chance to beat the Warriors as they’d give J.R. Smith to stay sober at a Snoop Dogg concert.
His answer is interesting:
Rachel Nichols: “Whatever happens here in this Finals, are you comfortable about what it ‘says about you,’ or your legacy or any of that?
LeBron James: “Well I cannot be comfortable, I’m never comfortable. I’m never comfortable. I’ve gotten better with understanding that conversations are going to be conversations no matter what.
It’s so weird that people kind of categorize individuality and then team, and then take away one individual and say ‘if you’re that good, you should be able to beat that team.’ I think a lot of that conversation… that bothers me a little bit. But it is what it is.”
It sounds to me like LeBron is hedging here, but he is 169% right. The Warriors team has four All-Stars and two former league MVPs. The Cavs have Rodney Hood and whatever Jeff Green decides to show up. I am fully expecting the Cavs to lose this series but the fact that LeBron has single-handily dragged this team of misfits to the Finals is an achievement only one man on the planet could accomplish, despite what happens next. If LeBron gets crushed in this Finals, I hope talking heads will remember not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Check out the entire interview below:
[h/t For The Win]