Dave McMenaminESPN Staff WriterRead in 5 minutes
Stephen A: No one will dethrone LeBron as the face of the NBA
Stephen A. Smith commented on LeBron James’ status as the face of the NBA and why other players are reluctant to take on that role.
MIAMI — He was resting in the baseline seat after Monday’s shootaround, his former team’s “Heat Culture” slogan painted on the half court in front of him. LeBron James reflected on what his time with the franchise meant to his career, which has spanned more than two decades.
“I think I would still be at this level whether I was here or not,” said the Los Angeles Lakers star, now in his 21st season. “Let’s not get this wrong. The four years I was here were amazing. I loved everything about it. I loved this franchise. This franchise is top-tier, one of the best franchises in the world.”
“But when it comes to my career, my career is going to be my career as an individual, because I’ve always loved how dedicated I’ve been to the game and how much I’ve tried to be as great as I can be. Because I know how much effort you put into it. [But] I’m sure you’ll be second to none when it comes to what you’ve learned here. ”
James was 25 years old when he came to South Beach in 2010. Through his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, there were zero championships, two MVP awards, and one NBA Finals appearance. By the time he left Miami in 2014, he had increased those totals to two titles, four MVPs, five Finals appearances, two Finals MVPs, and helped the Heat win 27 straight games (their second) in 2012-13. -Longest winning streak in league history.
“The only reason I came here was to win a championship,” James said. “That was my only goal. That was the only reason I made the team.” [Dwyane] with wade [Chris] Bosch. Because I felt like I couldn’t do that in Cleveland. I could not do it. …I tried to recruit people to come to Cleveland. I tried to go help the person upstairs, but that didn’t happen. So I had the opportunity to become a free agent and I did what I thought was best for me at that point, not just for my career. ”
James said leaving his only previous home in Northeast Ohio to settle in South Florida was a formative time not only for his career but for his life.
“It was a culture change for me,” James said. “People talk about ‘hot culture,’ but it was a time of cultural change. For the first time in my life, I changed everything about my life. To come here and learn and be with D-Wade; UD [Udonis Haslem] and sports [Erik Spoelstra] –Those who had already won–It was great to be able to participate, that’s for sure. ”
Miami will wear a “City Edition” uniform when it hosts the Lakers, with “Thermal Culture” sewn into the jersey to complement the specialized court it will play on and painted in block letters on the lanes. Contains a message. The best conditioned, most professional, unselfish, toughest, meanest, meanest team in the NBA.”
“I’m very excited about this,” said James, who included the Heat on a short list of exemplary franchises in all sports, including the NBA’s Lakers and San Antonio Spurs and the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. Team culture only exists if the players buy in.
“Of course it starts at the top, but at the end of the day it’s the players in the locker room who hold the players accountable,” he said. “You can get a message from upper management, but if the players don’t abide by it, or they redouble it in the locker room and apply it on the floor, or they apply it off the court and don’t become model citizens. That may be true, but it doesn’t matter. ”
This wasn’t the first time James invoked the Steelers’ name this season. He likened L.A.’s early-season see-saw to Pittsburgh’s performance thus far, as the Lakers fell to 3-3 with a 120-101 loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday to start the road trip.
“We’re like the Pittsburgh Steelers now,” James said. “The Pittsburgh Steelers have not outscored or outscored their opponents so far this season, but they still have a winning record.”
In fact, Pittsburgh, which is 5-3 but lost 163-133 overall, gained 2,228 yards on offense and allowed 3,018 yards on defense. Similarly, the Lakers may be .500, but they trailed by 61 points in the first quarter, the worst six-game point differential for any team since the Detroit Pistons in 1964-65. There is. Los Angeles also ranks 29th in 3-point percentage (29.7%) and 28th in both catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage and wide-open 3-point percentage, according to data compiled by Second Spectrum. .
