The King's Legacy
There have been so many people that have left behind incredible legacies that will be remembered for ages for their unbelievable feats, especially in the realm of basketball. Players in the NBA have dedicated their entire lives to leave behind a legacy that will last forever. Michael Jordan went six for six in the NBA championship finals, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the most career points in NBA history with 38,387 points, but my question is, what will LeBron’s legacy be after this season? In this blog, I will be explaining what could be in store for LeBron if he decides to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers in his chase for greatness.
Throughout the 2017-2018 season LeBron has seen some up and downs with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so there is no doubt that he is looking at other teams once his contract runs out this year. The two teams that seem to have his attention are the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets. LeBron would indisputably have success at either of these teams because, well, he’s LeBron, but which team would provide the most support to his legacy?
The San Antonio Spurs are historically known as remarkable team. This mainly has to do with the fact that they are coached by one of, if not, the greatest coach of all time Gregg Popovich. Popovich created a fundamental basketball system that has proven to be quite successful with his time there, and LeBron would be a perfect fit for it. The only problem I see with LeBron going to San Antonio is that he likes to be the “top dog” of his team and wants to control how his team plays. Even though he’s been pretty successful so far with this system, if he went to the Spurs he would need to adopt Popovich’s playstyle and understand that if he trusts his coach, he will be successful. With pieces like Kawhi Leonard and Lamarcus Aldridge, LeBron’s talent would pave the way for many more rings for San Antonio and the King.
The Houston Rockets have really proved themselves to be a dominant force in the NBA this season. With James Harden and Chris Paul, the Rockets have been leading the Western Conference with a record of 45-13 and may be the only team that can contend with the Golden State Warriors. This mainly has to do with the phenomenal chemistry the team has built together. Every player on their roster understands their role and they are able to make some incredible things happen. If LeBron were to move to Houston, they could possibly have one of the greatest “big 3’s” of all time. With these three players nearly averaging 10 assists each, they will be able to find each other with ease on the court and will be able to punish teams for not playing perfect defense. Also, even though Harden is a bit of a defensive liability, with a player like LeBron on the team it will potentially push him to get better since LeBron is famously known for his consistent defense. If these three players were to join forces, not very many teams would be able to stop them for a long time.
Legacy is always in the back of every players’ mind. So many players have worked thousands of hours to go down as one of the greats, including LeBron. However, a player’s legacy heavily relies on who they decide to play with. Who would you put around you in order to be remembered forever? This is a question that only LeBron himself can answer, but it could possibly decide whether or not he goes down as the greatest, or just one of the greats.
