LeBron James is one of the most impressive superstars we’ve ever seen in sports. When you factor in his longevity, accolades, and personality, it’s engrossing how he’s been able to stay relevant. That’s why Joy Taylor felt the need to crown the King in her recent podcast. She pointed to his entire career resume as a reason why he should be respected more.
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It’s not that LeBron isn’t a well-respected figure in the basketball community. In fact, he’s viewed as the GOAT by many. However, there are still some who denounce him because of his on-court demeanor and tendency to blame others. Consequently, they believe he’s not the greatest NBA player ever.
Yet, Taylor set out to silence those critics. On her most recent podcast, she talked about how impressed she was with LeBron. Not just for his on-court skills, too.
“LeBron is not actually a villain at all. He’s just naturally a polarizing figure, and it’s so fascinating,” Taylor expressed on the Two Personal Show. “He doesn’t have scandals; he takes care of his people, family. He has his businesses, and he’s represented the league. He’s been in the spotlight since he was 16 years old. Came up in the social media era. Like, it is incredible to me how polarizing he is.”
It’s indeed incredible how much LeBron has been able to accomplish given the circumstances. Most would wilt in the face of that type of pressure. But he’s been able to navigate the fame from a young age and turn into one of the most memorable athletes we’ve ever seen.
Later, Taylor wasn’t scared to crown LeBron as not just the greatest in NBA history, “I think he’s the greatest superstar in the history of entertainment.”
It’s a bit of a stretch. LeBron isn’t quite known for other fields of entertainment other than sports. Although Space Jam 2 collected $163 million worldwide. But there are probably other, more culturally influential figures that could be argued as the greatest in entertainment history.
That’s not to say that LeBron isn’t a culturally influential person, though. He’s done a lot for the basketball community as a figure to look up to. He’s also given a lot back to the state of Ohio and other communities that he’s played in.
Let’s also just go through the NBA accolades. Four championships, all of which he won the Finals MVP in. Four regular-season MVPs and three All-Star Game MVPs. 13 All-NBA first team selections, and five All-Defensive first teams made. LeBron even has three gold medals and an Olympic MVP award.
When you examine all of the accolades next to what Taylor said, it’s hard to deny that he could be the GOAT in basketball. Still, Michael Jordan makes a great case with his six championships in six tries. So, it’s really just a matter of impact vs. longevity.
Do you think a player who had a bigger impact or the better longevity should be viewed as the GOAT? If it’s the former, you’re a Jordan stan. If it’s the latter, you’re a follower of King James. Either way, though, everyone is probably right. They’re both incredible players who accomplished so much. It’s hard to determine who truly is the outright greatest. But we do know who Taylor thinks it is.
