Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player in the history of the game and with the end of his career looming, it is important for everyone to appreciate him while he is still active. On the women’s side of basketball, however, that same thought process could be reserved for Diana Taurasi.
Like LeBron, Taurasi is considered by many to be the greatest woman to ever play the game and many have showing their appreciation as her playing career began to wind down. And that end has officially come with Taurasi officially announcing her retirement from the game of basketball.
The announcement came in an exclusive interview with Sean Gregory of Time Magazine which included comments from many other basketball legends, including LeBron. The Lakers star said that it has been an honor to watch Taurasi transcend the women’s game over her 21-year professional career:
“Just seeing her transcend the game, watching little girls want to play like her, her style, her flair, her bravado, you know, her swagger, it’s been an unbelievable treat,” says the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James. “She’s one of the all-time greatest, and she will leave her mark on the game of basketball the moment she ties those shoes up and throws them over the pole line. It’s been an honor. All love.”
Greatness recognizes greatness and James and many other basketball greats recognize how amazing Taurasi was and her resume speaks for itself. Taurasi is a three-time WNBA Champion, three-time National Champion at UConn, six-time EuroLeague Champion and six-time Olympic Gold Medalist. She is far and away the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history and 3-pointers made while ranking fourth all-time in assists.
Much like James, Taurasi’s resume is simply unmatched and the impact she had on the game of basketball is immeasurable. With LeBron’s career coming to an end soon, even though he continues to be a force for the Lakers, he will undoubtedly be shown a ton of love once he officially hangs it up. But for now, the spotlight is on Taurasi as it should be for one of basketball’s true GOATs.
Lakers coach JJ Redick says LeBron James playing at All-NBA Defense level
While Diana Taurasi has called it a career, LeBron James continues to star for the Lakers and recently, to the surprise of many, it has been the defensive end where he has really stepped up. Lakers coach JJ Redick went so far as to say he feels LeBron has been playing at an All-NBA Defensive level as of late.
“Again, he defies what’s normal… And again, this is not an exaggeration,” Redick said after the Lakers’ victory over the Dallas Mavericks in which they held their fourth straight opponent to 102 points or less. “If you watch our basketball team every night, and you’ve watched our team now for the last six weeks or so, LeBron is playing at an All-NBA defense level.”
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