LeBron James sparks debate over Redeem Team's Hall of Fame induction, asks ‘why do players have to be retired?'
LeBron James is a four-time NBA champion and the all-time scoring leader. He is in the conversation for the greatest player of all time and is considered a future Hall of Famer. On Saturday, the "King" took to social media and shared his thoughts on the Hall of Fame induction process and requirements.
The LA Lakers superstar wondered why players have to be retired to be considered for a Hall of Fame induction and why an induction can't happen while they are still playing in the league.
"Why do players have to be retired before going into the HOF?? Coaches get in while still coaching rightfully so. Wondering what’s the difference though," LeBron James wrote on X.
The "King" made that statement after it was announced that the 2008 Redeem Team, which claimed the gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games, has been nominated for the Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
Out of this roster, only LeBron James continues to play in the NBA while all others have retired, while the legendary Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
LeBron James prepares for 18th appearance on Christmas Day; names Cavs vs Warriors in 2016 his greatest Christmas Day game
LeBron James is preparing for his 18th appearance on Christmas Day and holds the record for the most games played on Christmas Day. Over his past 17 games, he has faced great teams and participated in some of the most exciting games.
According to TalkSport.com, the one game that has been the 'greatest' for the all-time scoring leader on Christmas Day is the one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
The game took place seven months after the 2016 NBA Finals, where the Cavs erased a 3-1 deficit and won the series in seven games to claim their sole NBA championship.
In that Christmas Day game, Cleveland (22-6 at the time) survived a late thriller over Golden State (27-4) and took the 109-108 road win. James had 31 points and 13 rebounds in the game on 12/22 shooting.
This matchup was full of megastars, as Kyrie Irving was playing for the Cavs and Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant for the Warriors.
Fast forward to today, LeBron James and the LA Lakers (15-14) will host their rivals, the Boston Celtics (21-6), at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers and Celtics are tied for the most NBA championships in history with 17.