It seems as though every time LeBron James speaks publicly about any issue, there are a large segment of people simply waiting to criticize him. That was certainly the case when the Los Angeles Lakers star bashed ring culture, saying that it’s never enough and that it diminishes the accomplishments of Hall of Fame players who never won a ring due to team issues, and pits players like him and Kobe Bryant against each other unnecessarily.
One of those players is Hall of Fame shooting guard Tracy McGrady. A close look at any hihglight reel or tons of statistical metrics would show that McGrady is one of the best players of his era and among the better shooting guards in league history. He was a seven-time All-Star and All-NBA player that averaged 26.9 points per game over that stretch. His seven-year prime is something to behold.
Despite that, and elite performances in the playoffs with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets during those years, McGrady never made it past the first round until his final season in the NBA when he was no longer an on-court factor. He agreed with LeBron’s stance on ring culture and made a strong argument why, via “First Take” on ESPN:
“What defines greatness? Is it the championships?… For me, we have too many talented players that come through this league that are championship-worthy. What I mean by that is if you take them off a team that is a championship-quality team… Replace me with Kobe when he had Shaq, you don’t think I could win a championship? You don’t think I could carry the Lakers to a championship? I never had the opportunity. I felt like if I was just put in the position to win a championship, I damn sure would show up and do what I do in the playoffs to elevate my team to that level. just never had the chance. So do I get diminished because I never won a championship? It wasn’t my fault, I was never put in that position.”
It’s impossible to say what would have happened in the hypothetical of switching places with Bryant on the Lakers. However, McGrady’s point stands that — in plenty of cases — whether a player won a championship or not is more a figment of the pieces around that player and the organization that player plays for.
Michael Jordan couldn’t get out of the first round either, until his franchise drafted Scottie Pippen. LeBron couldn’t get over the hump and win a championship until he took control of his future and went to the Miami Heat. Rings are important, but the context around them matters too.
Metta World Peace appreciates praise from Lakers’ LeBron James
On the latest episode of “Mind the Game” with Steve Nash, LeBron James said the toughest defender he’s faced in his career was Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest. It’s not surprising, as World Peace was one of the best defensive players in the game during the late 2000s and was a major reason for L.A.’s 2010 NBA championship.
He would have been a perfect defender for the modern NBA as well. Elite lateral quickness, long arms, switchability and a willingness to do the dirty work. So for him to get that respect from James, who has faced hundreds of defenders over the course of 22 years, truly stands out as massive praise.
World Peace responded to what James had to say, thanking him for his kind words, explaining how he was able to have success as a player on the defensive end and facing a young LeBron for the first time.
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