It's Time To Stop Talking About LeBron James Being The Greatest Player Of All-Time
Well, that was fast.
The Golden State Warriors just completed a series win of five games against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Warriors outplayed the Cavaliers in just about every facet of the game. The NBA season is over and now we have to wait until next year.
LeBron James had a very impressive series and playoffs, but again, he failed to do the most important thing: win a title. Sure, people can continue to make the excuses that he doesn’t have enough help and that the Warriors are one of the greatest teams of All-Time, but at the end of the day getting swept in the NBA Finals for a second time means that people can stop proclaiming that LeBron will be the greatest player of All-Time (GOAT).
Now, before I dive any deeper I want to say I have respect for LeBron and acknowledge the fact that he is one the greatest players the game of basketball has ever seen. He basically averaged a triple-double in this series and has been to SEVEN straight Finals. I don’t need to sit here and say how good he is, but I do need to let people know what the truth is.
The truth is that LeBron has some negative tendencies that at times, cost him games, including in the playoffs. By now, most people know that he isn’t a closer. That was clear in game three when the Warriors went on an 11-0 run to end the game. LeBron had a great, great game, until the 4th where those negative tendencies yet again plagued one of the All-Time greats.
One of the things LeBron got slammed for was letting Kyrie Irving dance around with the ball for the entire possession when the Cavs were down one. LeBron didn’t bother calling for the ball or even moving for that matter. For whatever reason, LeBron has trouble closing the door. This moment again proved that LeBron isn’t a closer. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it has cost him.
What goes around come around. Let’s be honest, LeBron is facing what he himself created when he went to Miami. Kevin Durant looked at what LeBron did and thought it would be best for him to do the same thing. One day, Durant will have to face what he did too. One of the reasons Michael Jordan went six for six in finals was because the best players stayed on their respected teams. They didn’t join forces or try to manufacturer championships.
Losing in the Finals is never good.. When LeBron and the Cavs lost in the finals in 2015 things were a lot different. LeBron was playing without both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. Still, he managed to take that series to six games. LeBron willed the Cavs to wins in that series. It was him against the Warriors. There is no excuse this time around. Sure, the Warriors have Durant, but the Cavs also added pieces like Kyle Korver and Deron Williams. In no way am I comparing those three players to each other, but both teams are better than they were last year at this point in time.
If LeBron actually showed up at the end of game three this would still be a series. Instead, we are talking about the Warriors winning their second title in three years. It's amazing how five minutes at the end of a game can impact the outcome of an entire series, but that's the world of sports.
Yea, Magic and other notable Hall of Fame players have lost in the the Finals multiple times, but we're talking about LeBron here. He is a player that many believe will be the greatest to ever play the game one day. I’m sorry to tell those people that can no longer be true.
LeBron is who he is. One of the greatest players of All-Time, probably number two or three, but not the best the game has ever seen.
