Does LeBron James need to win this NBA Finals for his legacy?
LeBron James, as you may have heard, is now playing in his sixth NBA Finals. LeBron James, as you may also have heard, has not won all of those series, like a fella name of Jordan once did. So here’s the question: does LeBron need to win the 2015 Finals to protect and enhance his legacy?
It’s not an inconsequential question. We live in a results-driven sports world; the careers of Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and others don’t shine quite as bright in our memories because they never grabbed that ring.
On the other hand, nobody since the 1960s has gone to five straight NBA Finals, as LeBron has now done, and he’s done so with two different teams and varying levels of talent around him. Shouldn’t that count for something? Doesn’t the sheer weight of his achievement since 2010 outweigh any lingering bad feelings about The Decision or any ridiculous questions about whether he’s “better” than Jordan. We discuss, and we invite your commentary.
This debate is part of Yahoo Sports’ new ongoing Grandstanding series, in which Jay Busbee and Kevin Kaduk kick around every topic in sports. Check out the Grandstanding podcast, where we dive deeper into the day’s big stories, and find us on Twitter (@kevinkaduk and @jaybusbee) Facebook (Kaduk here, Busbee here) or via the hashtag #grandstanding. Thanks for checking it out!
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.
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