“Michael Jordan’s last two years with the Wizards were an abject disaster” - Colin Cowherd says LeBron James’ legacy is safe despite the LA Lakers’ struggles this year
The losses have continued to pile up for LeBron James and the LA Lakers, with their chances of winning a championship more remote than ever. Their championship odds have plummeted despite entering the season as one of the top title contenders.
James, despite having an outstanding season individually, is being accused of not being able to carry a team anymore. Many have started to question his abilities, to the extent that the boos have started to echo at Crypto.com Arena.
Sports media personality Colin Cowherd said James' legacy is intact despite the Lakers' struggles this season. On his show, "The Herd," he said:
"I'm starting to hear this with LeBron. 'Shut the season down. Disaster. Rest your body. There's no wins here.' There are two big things, very positive things happening for LeBron James this year. Forget the Lakers, LeBron James.
"This year, as big as a mess as it is, doesn't affect him. He's got four titles with three teams – nobody has ever done that. Got $800 million net worth, close to a billion, his legacy is set. He's either the first- or second-best player of all time. You're not going to remember this year. It's going to disappear into the ether."
Cowherd then compared James' season to Michael Jordan's last two years in the league. Seeing as he is either the first- or second-best player of all time, depending on who is asked, the comparison is valid.
"Michael Jordan's last two years with the (Washington) Wizards were an abject disaster," Cowherd said. "He went from averaging 29 (points) a game shooting 47% and the best player in the world with the (Chicago) Bulls.
"Couple of years later he plays for the Wiz, teammates hate him, he's no longer vertical, 21-point (average), shooting 43% from the field, could not make the playoffs in the NBA. Michael Jordan, can't find the video. It disappeared into the ether."
Even as LeBron's achievements cannot be questioned, he still wants that championship, especially since he put together a team solely for that reason. Although their experiment has not worked out well so far, the story could be different during the playoffs.
LeBron James might never win as many championships as Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan had a perfect run in the NBA Finals, winning six titles in six appearances. LeBron James has played in the Finals 10 times but has managed only four victories.
The Lakers captain is already in his 19th season, and age is not on his side. James, who is 37, has also expressed interest in playing with his son Bronny in the NBA, which means he would have to play at least until the 2024-25 season. Only one other player, Vince Carter, has played 22 NBA seasons.
LeBron James tonight:
32 points
6 rebounds
3 assists
2 steals
2 blocks
56.5% FG
500th career 30-point game https://t.co/Ir55w0GWNu
If the Lakers fail to win the championship in 2022, LeBron's window to win as many titles as MJ might be completely closed. As he ages, he will not be the unstoppable train he was early in his career, and the rigors of the postseason might be too much for him to handle.
Nonetheless, LeBron is, to many, the greatest basketball player of all time and he has done enough to prove his greatness. An almost failed season should not be used to measure his entire 19-year career so far.