did LeBron both capitulate to "ringz culture" & then transcend it?

he no doubt left Cleveland bc of all the noise. his place among the all-time greats was and likely would have remained tenuous had he remained there, likely unable to win a championship with Gilberts leadership and his lack of influence within the organization at the time.

he made the move to Miami and was (eventually) crowned, his legacy no longer an easy target for detractors. but he went even further after leaving Miami.

the victory in 2016 reified the importance of winning and the idea that having the best player (if a million other things went your way) meant that you could overcome a superior team.

but the loss in 2015 and the complete lack of hope the Cavs had in 2017 & 2018 call into question the ultimate value of winning. what does winning truly mean if we know that LeBron remains the best player? what does it mean if KD remains insatiable.

what does winning mean if Kawhi can win a title in his first season with a team and leave at the first opportunity for warmer weather and quality time with Lou Will?

what does wining mean in the middle of a pandemic with long overdue social justice issues coming to a head?

what does winning mean when Tilman Fertitta will strip you of all available resources and then say, the team just needed a little bit more Tilman in them?

no one respond to this cuz I'm dumb.

okay, end of thread.