HOUSTON — LeBron James has the ability to be the greatest ever. Says who?
LeBron James.
“For me, I want to maximize my potential. I want to maximize the gifts I’ve been given and go out there and showcase it to the world every night I step on the floor,” James replied when asked what he would need to do to be the best ever.
“I believe that if I do that each and every night, I’m going to put myself in a position where I can be the greatest of all time and I’m not going to worry about where I’m ranked by experts or non-experts that we so-called have in this sport.”
So many of those so-called experts still point to a guy celebrating his 50th birthday today, Michael Jordan, as the greatest to ever walk the court or hang eight feet above it. That’s a tough standard to reach for anyone.
“I don’t think there’s pressure. I tweeted it the other day that I’m not MJ, I’m LJ and that’s what it’s about,” James said Saturday in Houston before today’s All-Star Game, where he will start for the Eastern Conference at point guard. “There will never be another Michael Jordan and I’m trying make my mark where there will never be another me. If there is, I will be happy to see it.”
James, who said there is a short list — “a few, a couple names” — ahead of him on the greatest basketball player ever category, knows he removed the first excruciating obstacle to universal acceptance, whether he agrees or not. He has an NBA championship. He wants more. First, defending champ Miami must survive the East.
“There are a lot of contenders in the East. The Celtics are one. New York. Chicago. Indiana. There’s so many good teams in the East,” James said. “It’s not just one team we have to worry about or they have to worry about us. There’s a multitude of teams that are really good.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra named one of his own players, Chris Bosh, to start for the injured Rajon Rondo. He could have simply slipped Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving in at point, but with rumors and reports that James might consider a return to Cleveland with his next free agency, Heat fans might have choked.