“LeBron changes the expectations of hoping to win to expecting to win” — NBA analyst says LeBron James establishes a culture in the organization, agrees with Rob Pelinka’s comments on him
Rob Pelinka sent out an official statement Thursday confirming that the LA Lakers re-signed LeBron James. The General Manager heaped high praise on the four-time champion and expressed how important he was to the team. Shannon Sharpe, co-host of "The Undisputed," was in complete agreement with everything that Pelinka had to say about James.
The NFL legend is believed to be a big fan of "The Kid from Akron." While speaking about LeBron James during the most recent episode, Sharpe mentioned that as per him, James was still the GOAT.
"I love what he said, I give it a 10 because it's all true. LeBron changes the expectations of hoping to win to expecting to win. Even at 37, Skip, he is still one of the four-five best players in all of the league. I don't think the best player. That distinction goes to Giannis for me, we can debate that another day and time, but he (LeBron James) is the face of the NBA and still one of the faces of the NBA around the world," said Sharpe while talking about James.
LeBron is undoubtedly aging like fine wine. At 37, he created history last season by becoming the first NBA player over the age of 35 to average over 30 points in a season. Although he failed to make the playoffs, his brilliance was noted by everyone.
Having a player like LeBron James on the team certainly increases the team's chances of winning a championship. Shannon Sharpe highlighted that he brings in a winning culture. Speaking about the same, he said:
"You can have all the talent in the world, but if the culture isn't right? We saw that in Brooklyn right? They had three top-10 players, three top-12 players and one of them wanted to leave and they still had two and it got them nowhere, and so for me Skip he [LeBron] establishes a culture within the organisation.
"You see it's been reported that before they go to training camp, he's already trying to set something up, where they can go on their own, no coaches, none of that other stuff. This could be headed to San Diego, could be Las Vegas, but that's what LeBron James brings, that what comes with the LeBron James."
Not many have high hopes from the LA Lakers next season. They have made changes to their roster, but there are still some uncertainties surrounding the team. Amidst all of that, one thing that they are positive about is LeBron. The 18-time All-Star brings his best every time on the court. Even entering Year 20, there are high hopes from him, as such is the bar that he has set for himself.
Next season is going to be a historic one for LeBron James
LeBron James is one of the most well-rounded players in the league. In 19 seasons, he has won almost every laurel in the league. James is currently second on the all-time scoring list. The four-time champ is only 1,325 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He is expected to break the record next season.
Being the top scorer would certainly be a big achievement in an already accomplished career for LeBron. He has already signed a two-year extension with the LA Lakers and has been working hard in the offseason in preparation for next season.
If he is able to stay healthy, LeBron could break the scoring record as early as January. It will certainly be the headline of next season. His goal will be to win the championship, but becoming the top scorer will be a strong boost for him in future GOAT debates.