After LeBron James endured his third first-round exit in his last four postseason appearances, many critics were quick to ridicule his legacy and remove him from the GOAT conversation. However, for a player who has dominated the league in one form or another for 22 years, the repeated attempts to discredit the four-time MVP’s legacy in favor of Michael Jordan’s pristine record seem unfair.
Former Boston Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell certainly thinks so as well. Not only did the two-time NBA champion sympathize with LBJ, but he also emphasized how exhausting and unjust it is to constantly pit him against legends of the past whenever he faces setbacks.Maxwell calls James the “greatest thing” to ever play the game
Regardless of what “The Akron Hammer” has achieved in his storied career, even in Year 22, when most anticipated him to take a step back, James didn’t just exceed expectations; he emerged as one of the most impactful players. Averaging All-NBA-esque numbers of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, he didn’t just help the Purple and Gold attain the third seed in the Western Conference but also was the most consistent player on the team in the playoffs.”Cornbread” acknowledged how tirelessly LeBron has continued to work even at the age of 40, and pointed out the harsh truth: no matter what he does, his lowest moments will always be used to downplay his legacy against that of MJ. Moreover, given that it is already hard to digest for his naysayers that James is unlikely to step down from his “A-Game” and will continue to break records in the forthcoming years, his team’s shortcomings in the postseason will always be thumped on his shoulders.
“I think in LeBron’s case, he’s always going to fight a ‘no-win’ battle because people are always going to compare him to Michael. There’s no way to compare as great as LeBron (is), his longevity, more points than anyone else, all the stuff he has done – unbelievable, magnificent. But he’s always going to be compared to what the great Michael Jordan did,” the Hall of Famer said. “It’s unfair, I realize it. It’s totally unfair, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles here. I’ve said this time and time again, I think he’s the greatest thing to ever play the game, considering the longevity of his career, but people will not let go of the rope.”
The narrative around James needs to change
While the endless GOAT debate between Jordan and LeBron may never truly be settled, what people need to recognize is that what James is doing at this stage in his career is unprecedented, not just in basketball, but across all professional sports. At 40, the four-time NBA champion is still expected to compete for titles, still feared by opponents and capable of taking over games. That kind of longevity and sustained excellence should be celebrated, not nitpicked.
That truth might sting some fans and even former players, but what Bron has accomplished, and is continuing to do this late in his career, proves he is unarguably the hardest-working athlete in the game. Even if he might not be the GOAT for some, his mindset and determination deserve respect and nothing less than that.
