LeBron James, a man who has won his fair share of championships, recently sparked debate when he spoke out against the NBA’s obsession with “ring culture.” According to the Los Angeles Lakers forward, people often get too caught up in counting championships when evaluating greatness. After all, there are legends like Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley who never won a chip but are still considered all-time greats.
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These comments drew criticism. A large portion of the community argued that championships are what truly matter in the end, since that’s what all teams ultimately chase. Now, fellow four-time champion Draymond Green has added his voice to the discussion, weighing in on The Pivot Podcast, backing LeBron and offering his take on how difficult it is to be the No. 1 team.
Green brought up the 2025 NBA Finals as an example. The Oklahoma City Thunder were overwhelming favorites to defeat the Indiana Pacers, but were taken all the way to Game 7. For some time, it looked like the championship could swing either way before an Achilles injury to Tyrese Haliburton effectively ended the Pacers’ hopes of emerging victorious. Green addressed this moment, highlighting how narrow the window is for players to win it all, and how most never do.
When Haliburton went down, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted how devastating the injury was for Indiana, as 2025 could very well have been their only shot at a title for a long time. Green echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that if a team doesn’t capitalize on the opportunities in front of them, those chances can disappear and may never come back.
“This is what, back to Bron’s point, people don’t understand, when you ain’t been through it. You have an opportunity. If you don’t kick the door in, kick the window in when you got the opportunity, you may never get the opportunity again,” Green said. He pointed out how championship runs can shake up a roster. Players leave, contracts become too expensive, and chemistry changes. Suddenly, that magic that got them there is gone.
About as clear an achilles rupture you will see on video for Tyrese Haliburton here – classic pushing off mechanism & clear pop through calf.
Will require surgery & >9 month recovery, feel for him in such a big game.pic.twitter.com/hqFns4zKcr
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) June 23, 2025
Green feels fans often overlook just how fragile and rare those opportunities are. Worse, they use a lack of rings to discredit great players. He explained that not winning a title has become a weapon people use to tarnish legacies, even for those who were dominant in their era.
The Golden State Warriors veteran, however, sees it differently. He said he can still respect and admire players who never won a ring. Not everyone gets that one perfect moment. Even when they do, anything can go wrong. Just ask the Pacers.
