LeBron James isn’t like other basketball players. His name has carried so much weight ever since he entered the league that he has had doubters plague him every year. He isn’t even spared by the media, as the expectations of him are always to be the ‘next Jordan’.

Even if LeBron hasn’t done what Jordan did, no other player of this era can claim that they have even come close to Jordan. LeBron knows that he will probably never have a true claim to the G.O.A.T. throne until he adds more rings to his name. He showed that self-awareness to the media after the Lakers eliminated the Houston Rockets in the second round.

“I know what my name, my stature, and what I’ve done in this league come with whenever I decide to join a franchise Started with my first seven years in Cleveland, four years in Miami, back to Cleveland for four more years, and coming to this franchise. I know what my name comes with. And it comes with winning. I take that responsibility more than anything because I am a winner and I have always been a winner, from the first time I played organized basketball.”

LeBron James leaving the legacy of a G.O.A.T.?

LeBron has to be an easy top-three candidate in the race for the G.O.A.T. He has more championships than any of his top-tier competitors currently playing and has longevity unrivaled by even Michael Jordan. LeBron has been in the top five of each NBA MVP race since Steve Nash won it in 2006. He has also seen 8 straight Finals appearances, two of them with a hapless Cleveland Cavaliers team.

The name LeBron James has been associated with greatness from the day he entered the league. While he faced his shortcomings throughout his career, he has come to where he needs to have full control over where his legacy goes.

As far as what he has done this season, he is proving after each game that he has more than just a rightful claim to being the greatest basketball player ever. If he wins a championship with the Lakers, this claim will become harder to dispute.