To Be Mentioned In GOAT Convo, LeBron James Has To Win Title With This Cavs Team

At what point is it okay to include or exclude LeBron James from being mentioned in the GOAT conversation? The star of the Cleveland Cavaliers has earned a spot in the top 10, but to be mentioned with the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and the others, well, he has to do something spectacular.

That’s not to say that LeBron hasn’t in the past. But what he’s trying to accomplish now will have him eyeing the throne. Not the top of it, but eyeing it. As great as he is, there is still the issue of those three wins and five losses in the NBA Finals. Yes, seven straight is nothing to scoff at but neither is ignoring who he took there, how he won, and how he lost.

But fear not LeBron James‘ fans. There is still time for him to turn it around. All it will take is for him to lead the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers to the Finals and win. But why would that be so important to his legacy one might ask?

That’s easy. Where is Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh? What happened to Kyrie Irving? While LeBron still has Kevin Love, this current Cavaliers team is not as loaded as previous teams LeBron James has won with.

Without a doubt, this has been one of the best seasons of his career. But if he’s not careful, it may end in another ESPN Special focused on his next destination. However, if he does win, then LeBron can tell Kobe and Magic he’s coming for a spot.

But he can’t do that now. His resume is not as coveted as the others. What we’re seeing from LeBron now is that he’s being forced to be THAT guy. He’s been the leader of the Cavaliers before and failed to win a ring. While with the Miami Heat, James leaned on Dwyane Wade for one title and then Ray Allen and a mistake by the San Antonio Spurs for his second with the Heat.

Then the whispers started to get louder as many began to place LeBron in the GOAT conversation. But after another Heat loss in the Finals, LeBron took his talents back to Cleveland to pair with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.

In three season with Kyrie and Love, the Cavaliers would win one ring but the two losses still weigh heavy not only on the organization but LeBron’s legacy as well.

With Kyrie gone, the team was properly given to LeBron. While this is not his first as an official leader, circumstances have made him accept a role that he’s always handed to others. With Kevin Love moving to center and the team struggling defensively to start the season, LeBron had to shoulder the blame.

Can LeBron James Lead The Cavaliers To A Title This Season?

In what can only be considered a down season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, changes had to be made. During the NBA Trade Deadline, the Cavaliers made major adjustments to their roster in order to get younger, better defensively, and hope that winning will help keep LeBron James in Cleveland after this season.

While the new team struggled out the gate, come playoff time, a switch was turned on. But a close look will reveal that only two players may have hit that switch– James and Love. Where has Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and George Hill been? Yes, the Cavaliers took care of the Indiana Pacers in seven games. And, they could sweep the Toronto Raptors Monday, but still. If James doesn’t get help, they could run into a hot Boson Celtics team or Philadelphia 76ers in the east then still have to deal with the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.

But what happens if the Cavaliers pull off the impossible?

If LeBron were to lead this team to a title, then he deserves whatever praise is bestowed upon him. This is the same as Kobe Winning two more rings without Shaq. Or Dirk Nowitzki leading the Dallas Mavericks to a tile over James in the Heat. This was to be the season where it all finally fell apart for James and the Cavs. However, instead of tucking in their tails, they have followed James to new heights.

LeBron has rings and other hardware. But he has yet to be the sole leader of a team to win a championship. Yes, it takes more than one person to win a title but when that discussion of the GOAT comes up, he hasn’t earned the right to be considered that yet. A title with THIS team will put him in the discussion.

Mark Wilson

Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.