A lot of people emboldened to talk in reckless ways today. It’s not really worth engaging because some people love arguing. But for the sake of truth, let me say a couple of things.

/1

Make no mistake about it, LeBron James is a PHENOMENAL basketball player. His skills, longevity and off-the-court contributions cannot be denied. Even “haters” like myself, must admit the obvious.

/2

Winning a 4th NBA championship as he did last night is no small achievement. Few have done it. I mean, Robert Horry has 7 and even Danny Green has 3, but no one puts them in GOAT conversations b/c unlike LBJ they weren't “the guy.”

/3

As I said, last night’s bubbleship emboldens the LBJ booster club to make a little noise and resume their campaign for his GOAT status. It’s reckless talk. Because as good as 4 chips is, there’s more to the record.

/4

In the GOAT conversation, there are 3-4 names always in the mix: Russell, Jordan, and James. Occasionally someone tries to throw Wilt, Kareem, or Kobe some love, but Jordan and James is the debate with Russel being ruled out b/c of his era.

/5

But let’s take those 3—Russell, Jordan and James—and ask a couple of questions:

How many titles do they each have? What is their win percentage in the finals? How long did it take them to reach that record?

Let’s take them in order.

/6

Russel won an astounding 11 chips total. He tops the list. Even more amazing, he did it in 13 seasons! In 85% of his seasons, he went home with the ring!

The next non-Celtics on the list is Robert Horry (7) and Kareem (6).

But as I said: Different era. Different game. Etc.
/7

Jordan won 6 championships, just over half as many as Russell. He played 15 seasons. That’s a championship in 40% of his seasons. Arguably, he would have won 8 chips had he not retired at his prime and he never a Finals. Take off Russell’s Celtics and he’s 2nd only to Kareem.

/8

LeBron has won 4 championships in 17 years—2/3 the number Jordan has and 1/3 of Russells. But unlike Russell and Jordan, LBJ has LOST SIX finals series. His record in the Finals is a LOSING one at 4-6. With last night’s win, he’s tied for 27th on the list of championships.

/9

Now, I actually agree with people who say this can’t be completely decided by rings. But it can’t decided WITHOUT rings either. As this short sketch shows, LBJ ain’t the GOAT when it comes to chips.

/10

In fact, there are some pretty dominant players tied or ahead of James in the chip count: Shaq (4), Duncan (5), Kobe (5), and Magic (5). From solely a number of championships perspective, they might have something to say about al this reckless talk, too.

/11

So, LBJ fans, enjoy the moment. It’s a good moment and a great achievement. But don’t get carried away. Don’t let the ticker tape make you dizzy. Be sure it’s not COVID you're feeling. LBJ is great, but he is not the greatEST.

/End