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“I Don’t Even Wanna Degrade Tom Brady”: Ex-NBA Stars Divulge Into LeBron James’ Legacy After Grand Speech at Historic Night

Published 07/14/2023, 12:10 PM EDT

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Longevity is a trait not many people possess in the sporting world. In a field that demands unmatched skill and fitness to even stay relevant, competing at the highest level for over 20 years is a Herculean task. LeBron James and Tom Brady are among the elite few who dominated their respective sports for that long. When “The Chosen One” announced that he was not done yet, it expectedly turned several heads.

LeBron James and Tom Brady are unarguably the greatest to play their respective sports. Their game seems to have only elevated as they grew older. After 20 seasons in the NBA, James announced he can still “give the game everything on the floor” in a dramatic acceptance speech at the ESPYs.

Unsurprisingly, this news had NBA analysts and fans awestruck. While Brady dominated the NFL for 23 years, James’ statement makes it clear that he is not done yet. However, who had the more dominant run between the two? The analysts had their say.

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LeBron James has analysts comparing him to Tom Brady

LeBron James made a grand announcement at the ESPYs that when it comes to his time to retire, “today is not that day“. As the LA Lakers forward announced to return for his 21st season, analysts drew obvious comparisons to the legendary NFL quarterback, Tom Brady.

On ESPN’s hit show, First Take, analysts were asked who had a more dominant run between LeBron James and Tom Brady. A panel comprising ex-NBA veterans, Kendrick Perkins and Jay Williams, discussed the topic.

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Jay Williams started off by saying “This is coming from a basketball guy… I oscillate between Michael Jordan and him, greatest of all time.” However, in response to a previous statement from Courtney Cronin, Williams said “If we’re gonna use caveats to describe a better run of dominance…. there was luck on each side“.

via Imago

In fact, he gave Tom Brady the edge over LeBron James in this discussion. “The reason why I give this slight edge to Tom Brady here…Brady was drafted 199th. Like nobody saw this one coming” he opined. He also added, “Once he achieved that level, he sustained it… Seven rings is tough to beat“.

Jay Williams strongly argues that Tom Brady had the more dominant run. However, Kendrick Perkins has a contrasting opinion.

Kendrick Perkins feels differently

Kendrick Perkins has had a reputation for making his opinions heard. When Jay Williams shared that he felt Tom Brady had a more dominant run, Perkins had to weigh in. Perkins believed it was LeBron James that had a more dominant run.

I don’t even wanna degrade Tom Brady… but you just spoke the gospel about LeBron James”, he said, in response to Williams’ statements. He further adds, “his dominance didn’t start when he was drafted No.1…. on national televised game on ESPN“.

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He states, “We have struggled over the last five to six years to say hey, who is the new face of the NBA…. LeBron James is still the face of the NBA“.

via Reuters

And talking about James’ off-court endeavors, he mentions, “The first NBA player ever, to reach a net worth of a billion dollars while playing…. not while playing“. He concluded by saying, “I think it’s LeBron James and I don’t even believe it’s close“.

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Kendrick Perkins and Jay Williams were on opposing sides of the argument. However, despite the question of who did it better, the two legends have certainly dominated their respective leagues. Entering his 21st season in the NBA, LeBron James has made it clear there are no limits to what he can do. His insane longevity will yet again be on display as he joins the Los Angeles Lakers for another run at a championship.

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Written by:

Sachit Kaundinya

360Articles

One take at a time

Sachit is an NBA content writer at EssentiallySports. He has been following the NBA for several years and is deeply passionate about the sport and it’s strategic aspects. Combining his passion and desire to stay connected with basketball, Sachit pursued a writing career.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja