LeBron James: A Legend

The day is Friday June 9, 2017 and the Cleveland Cavaliers have suffered their third loss straight to the Golden State Warriors. A defeated and dejected LeBron James hangs his head as he leaves the arena to prepare for the next game. It is in these times of defeat where a true fighter shows his strength. In the case of LeBron James, you see it in his will to never quit and stay strong in the face of adversity.

Most great basketball minds and legends would currently place LeBron as the top basketball player in the world right now. Even in light of Kevin Durant’s stellar play recently, many would agree he is not quite the player LeBron is just yet. As with anyone who is the best at what they do, LeBron has to handle criticism from all angles. Fans, sports journalists and other celebrities are all equally a part of this. Even in the face of all of the criticism, LeBron manages to work harder than he has ever worked and stay true to who he is. One can see this in his performance on the court night in and night out recently. In these 2017 NBA finals, LeBron has averaged an outstanding 30 points, 10 rebounds rebounds and 10 assists. These stats make him the first player in NBA history to average a triple double in the finals. On top of that, LeBron managed to record his 9^th triple double of his finals career allowing him to pass Magic Johnson for the most all time. Lastly, LeBron passed Michael Jordan for the third highest scoring total in the finals all time trailing only behind the greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West. These are the numbers of a man on a mission. Whether or not he can accomplish the mission of achieving yet another NBA championship is yet to be seen. One thing is certain: there is no questioning the work and dedication LeBron puts in for his team. The stats speak for themselves.

It is not only on the court where LeBron shows his true colors, but off the court as well. LeBron is a dedicated family man that also participates in good causes. One would be challenged to find any report about LeBron getting arrested for a DUI or doing anything that could put himself or his family in jeopardy. Many people who are familiar with basketball will know that LeBron participated in a live televised announcement where he would play when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2013. It was called “The Decision” and it was something that LeBron received a lot of backlash for. What many people forget to mention is that this televised announcement generated three million dollars that LeBron donated to charity for many boys and girls clubs of America. It is times like this where you see LeBron as a person that cares deeply about people and is more than your stereotypical celebrity.

At the end of the day, people will continue to criticize LeBron for his playing and say he doesn’t work hard enough, plays like he is tired, etc. Moreover, LeBron is getting older and will eventually have to pass down the torch of greatest player onto Kevin Durant or whichever player seems to become the most dominant. Ultimately, LeBron will go down as one of the greatest basketball players to ever step on the court and will be a legend not just for what he did on the court, but who he was off it as well.