What does LeBron need to do to be accepted as the GOAT?

[stephanieg]

Stop choking, dominate critical playoff games, stop getting such blatant ref favoritism...too late for that though.

[ZMonkey11]

probably push the reset button on his career and start over. I think there is too much ill will for him at this point to ever put him as GOAT.

[ArbitraryWater]

That Ship has sailed

[nathanjizzle]

That ship has sailed, sank to the bottom of the ocean, and has become coral reef inhabited by crabs.

[kamil]

Too late for him to be GOAT.

[Partizan]

It's more of a hypothetical question, obviously it's not realistic for him to win that much rings...

[Joyner82reload]

He is never going to be the GOAT unless he goes on some ridiculous winning streak, i.e. winning 4 or 5 titles in a row as the main guy. Basketball is far more of an individual sport than the other big 2, football and baseball. It's not a sport that legacy has come with elite individual statistics unless you set major records, i.e. most points scored in a game/career, etc. Basketball has always, and always will be, about winning. Greatness in basketball is almost exclusively associated with winning as the best player on your team.

Basketball is more like golf. Having the best stats, i.e. driving distance, putting, greens, means absolutely nothing. Hell even winning regular tournaments means very little, players are almost never ranked based on sheer tournaments won. It's all about the majors, just like the NBA is all about the Finals.

Hell look at Wilt Chamberlains legacy. He has the greatest statistical numbers in the history of the sport, and practically owns the record books. Yet he is remembered for banging women and being an individual player/not being able to beat Russell. And that's with him winning 2 titles, just like LeBron.

Meanwhile Russell, who was not statistical monster outside of rebounding, is considered the better player by most due to being a winner.

If Chamberlain isn't considered a top 3 GOAT, and by most he's not, with all of his accolades, LeBron James sure as hell isn't becoming the GOAT without winning at least 6 titles.

[navy]

7-8 FMVP and MVPs is enough for me.

[r0drig0lac]

Not sure, but I believe reincarnation would be a necessary step in the process.

/thread

[SouBeachTalents]

Steal Jordan's identity

[poido123]

7-8 FMVP and MVPs is enough for me.

You have nearly all the posters in the thread say the ship has sailed.

Not this guy

[G.O.A.T]

Win.

From here through the rest of his prime, if he wins the Championship every year his team is a legit contender, he'll have a damn good claim. On a physical level, his combined athleticism, versatility, size and skill are the greatest I think we've ever seen.

4 MVP's before 30 is significant, 2 Finals MVP's and a reign as the leagues best player that seems unlikely to be fully overtaken anytime soon. The guy is good, uniquely durable too, which can lead to great even faster.

The knock on LeBron thus far is that he doesn't consistently elevate himself and his teammates in the most crucial moments/games/series.

Being swept in 2007, losing in 2011 and 2014 when they were favored...that's not on the resume of other number 6 and number 23's

But that being said, without him his team isn't in that situation and guys like Wilt (2-4), West (1-7), Kareem (6-5), Magic (5-4), Bird (3-2), Moses (1-2), Oscar (1-1) lost more often, as often or almost as often in the finals as they won. LeBron at 2-3 is a victim of his own success to those who would criticize his mark.

[WolfGang]

Lebron has to buy a real life Deloreon and kill Jordan as a child. As long as there is the memory of Michael then Lebron will always be second in the minds of the old heads. He could win 7 rings and still have doubters.

[Im so nba'd out]

He is never going to be the GOAT unless he goes on some ridiculous winning streak, i.e. winning 4 or 5 titles in a row as the main guy. Basketball is far more of an individual sport than the other big 2, football and baseball. It's not a sport that legacy has come with elite individual statistics unless you set major records, i.e. most points scored in a game/career, etc. Basketball has always, and always will be, about winning. Greatness in basketball is almost exclusively associated with winning as the best player on your team.

Basketball is more like golf. Having the best stats, i.e. driving distance, putting, greens, means absolutely nothing. Hell even winning regular tournaments means very little, players are almost never ranked based on sheer tournaments won. It's all about the majors, just like the NBA is all about the Finals.

Hell look at Wilt Chamberlains legacy. He has the greatest statistical numbers in the history of the sport, and practically owns the record books. Yet he is remembered for banging women and being an individual player/not being able to beat Russell. And that's with him winning 2 titles, just like LeBron.

Meanwhile Russell, who was not statistical monster outside of rebounding, is considered the better player by most due to being a winner.

If Chamberlain isn't considered a top 3 GOAT, and by most he's not, with all of his accolades, LeBron James sure as hell isn't becoming the GOAT without winning at least 6 titles.

[DaSeba5]

That ship sailed in 2011.