Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is truly a generational athlete not just in the history of basketball, but of sports in general. He has far exceeded being just a basketball player and is one of the most recognizable people on the face of the earth.
Many would consider James’ 2016 NBA Championship in which he led the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors as his biggest moment in his career. And his longtime agent Rich Paul would even compare him to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali for transcending wins and losses after that championship.
“I mean we were just having a conversation and I was just like, ‘I think this is probably the best situation. It may not happen overnight, but if you win one time in Cleveland, there’s nothing else to be done,’” Paul said on the latest episode of his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman. “Because he already had rings. Whether you have two, four, six, 18, whatever. You’re a champion. No one can say you’re not a champion. But the idea of going back home, winning one. I always looked at LeBron to be more of, what I would say was the People’s Champ, like Muhammad Ali was. Even when he lost I felt like people really embraced him.”
Ali was undoubtedly an athlete that transcended sports, due in large part to his willingness to speak out on many controversial topics that affected him during that time in America. And to that same point, James for the most part has always been someone who has had no problem speaking out on touchy issues as well, even if it could potentially hurt him financially.
At the time when Ali was speaking out, he was not the most beloved athlete and didn’t really become truly revered until well after his career ended. James has certainly had his detractors throughout his career, but that has been primarily due to on-court things and not necessarily due to his comments on off-court issues. But their willingness to be a leader in the world is something these two legendary athletes share.
LeBron James discusses what motivates him at this stage of his career
Whether James will continue his illustrious career is one of the biggest questions of this offseason not just for the Lakers, but for all of basketball. But one thing that is for sure is that James is motivated by just one thing.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
