National Basketball Association

Matter of Respect

Published Oct. 12, 2020 1:54 p.m. ET

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Following his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP award, LeBron James could have asked the world for just about anything.

But with the championship confetti already pooled into piles, on the same hardwood floor where James lifted the Los Angeles Lakers over the Miami Heat in Game 6, the 35-year-old had just one request: some "damn respect."

LeBron's legacy has always been fraught with deliberation.

Every triumph or letdown brings about the opportunity to relitigate The King's credentials, and his latest success proved no different.

Following the 106-93 victory for Los Angeles, Chris Broussard contextualized LeBron's impact in terms of longevity, coupled with The King's unprecedented level of success at every stop late in his career.

"[There has] never been a player in NBA history that was the best player in the league in their 17th year. LeBron is that ... To achieve this, become the first player to lead three franchises to a championship? Unbelievable. Incredible."

Shannon Sharpe called LeBron's playoff run, particularly his ability to average 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the Finals, "virtuoso."

"Players to lead their team in points, rebounds and assists in a Finals: LeBron James has done it seven times. Tim Duncan has done it once, Magic [Johnson] once, Jimmy Butler once."

Lending credence to that virtuoso designation is LeBron's ability to adapt his game, too. He's won titles with three different teams, and therefore, three (for the most part) different sets of teammates.

His primary running mates in his four titles ⁠— Dwyane Wade with the Heat in 2012 and 2013, Kyrie Irving in Cleveland in 2016 and Anthony Davis with the Lakers in 2020 ⁠— all played different positions.

LeBron altered his game to best complement his supporting cast, whether than meant taking over on offense, becoming more of a distributor, or assuming heftier defensive responsibilities.

With that in mind, Nick Wright's biggest question Monday morning was for those who thought LeBron bringing a title to Los Angeles was anything other than an inevitability.

"Why would anyone have ever expected anything different? ... This is what LeBron James does. [He] takes franchises who are nowhere near competing for a title ... and within around 700 days off his arrival, they're throwing a parade."

However, not everyone is sold on the validity of the championship.

LeBron and the Lakers did catch some breaks along the way, primarily thanks to the Denver Nuggets eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers – thought to be the Lakers' greatest test – in the Western Conference semifinals. 

With the Clippers out of the picture, Skip Bayless believes the story of the Lakers run can't be told without that stroke of good luck.

"I'm sorry to inform you, these championship rings should be made of cubic zirconia. And on the inside of these rings should be a little inscription with an asterisk: *Avoided Clippers. You avoided the one team that would've knocked you off!"

For as long as LeBron is playing, and likely well after he finally decides to call it a career, LeBron will have his fervent supporters and heated detractors in near-equal measure.

But for The King himself, there's one fan he knows he can count on for unwavering support: his mother, Gloria James.

LeBron left the locker-room celebrations for a heartfelt call with his mom, seen in the video below.

(Note: video contains some strong language.)

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