When debating the greatest players in any sport, you really have to split hairs in order to differentiate between the all-time greats like Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and the late, great Kobe Bryant. But, especially in basketball, it seems like the first thing many go to is championships and make that the deciding factor before anything else.
Of course, the ultimate goal in team sports is to win championships so that should be a factor in these discussions. But at times, some won’t even entertain a debate simply because one player doesn’t have as many rings as another, and this bothers James.
The Lakers star discussed this in the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, calling it ridiculous to discount how good certain players are, or act as if they aren’t on a certain level of greatness solely because of a lack of championships:
Ring culture has changed the way people talk about basketball.
Full mailbag episode out now. Watch on our YouTube, @primevideo or listen wherever you get your podcasts: https://t.co/dhAdWMKyni pic.twitter.com/S0GKVkhJ86
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 17, 2025
LeBron certainly used some excellent examples in making his point. Players such as Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley and Nash are absolute legends and should be applauded as such even though they never won a ring. And the fact that himself, Kobe or Magic Johnson didn’t win as many championships as Jordan, Bill Russell or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shouldn’t automatically end those debates either.
Having debates on the best players ever should be fun, but oftentimes people want to downplay greats in order to make their preferred choice look better. In the end, it is important to appreciate all great players for what they brought to the game of basketball and that is what LeBron wants to see more than anything.
Lakers’ LeBron James names Metta World Peace as toughest defender he’s faced
When discussing the greatest perimeter defenders of all time, one name that should certainly come up is Metta World Peace. The former Lakers forward is a former Defensive Player of the Year and LeBron James believes he was his toughest challenge.
The Lakers superstar named World Peace as the toughest defender he faced, particularly when he first entered the league as World Peace was in his prime on the Indiana Pacers. LeBron noted that World Peace’s combination of strength, lateral movement and great hands made him extremely difficult to deal with.
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