“Kings chase kings”, a famous tagline made known by the former Heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder. It means that kings are a class of their own and that they are above every other member of the kingdom. In the world we currently live in, the King of the hardcourt is his airness Michael Jordan. There have been many attempts to overthrow him but they always seem to fail. From Clyde Drexler’s Trailblazers to the pairing of Stockton and Malone in Utah, all those attempts fell short. MJ is long retired but he still leaves a big legacy behind–spanning movies to sneakers and everytging in between. He even established his own brand that many of the current stars don like Westbrook and Gennady Golovkin.
Not until LeBron James, the “Chosen one”, “King”, “The GOAT of this generation”. He is by far the closest to dethrone MJ. Going strong in his 17th year in the league, he has achieved them all. He has breaker every record as easily as how he has transcended everyone’s expectations when he got drafted as a mere 19 year old from Akron, Ohio. Playing at a high level at 35, he has proven that he can still dominateand catch up with the younger and hungrier ones. This season has proven to be a very interesting one for him. He proved he can do it all because he has led the league in assists while being an elite scorer at a high level. With all these in mind, is he already there? how far (or near) is Bron from dethroning the ghost of Chicago. Is he a mile away? or is he closing in the race?

Should LeBron win this year, this will be his fourth ring while playing for the third franchise in his career. After all, championships are the ones that bolster one’s greatness the most. Winning now means he is mobile– playing anywhere he wants while achieving the ultimate goal of winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The King has faced them all– from a very deep roster in the Spurs to a very talented Warriors team. He may have had lost 6 times but it also proves his consistent dominance of the league. MJ has proven to be the dominating force of the 90’s; he has won 6. Although LBJ has proven to be dominant, the general consensus is that he has to equal or to surpass MJ’s rings. And with his age coming up, he may not have a lot left. Father time is always undefeated and it does not help that the season is suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The King has maneuvred his style of play like fine wine in according to his age. The transition has veen very smooth. This season, LeBron played his best year as a passer this season. The greatest player of this decade can play any position he wants and with the help of another MVP player in AD, the stress of carrying the Lakers on his back is lighter. Winning with the Lakers also mean something to your legacy. Magic, Kareem, and some of thr greatest had spend valuable time with the Purple and Gold. Los Angeles is also the biggest market of the NBA. This means the spotlights are even brighter than before. Contrary to what many believe is LeBron’s last wind for the gold, the years remaining on his contract are very crucial for the front office to handle. We do not know if LBJ is gonna retire or will play on after his contract in LA. But with a prime Davis and a bunch of solid adjustments along the way, LBJ could still have a chance fr as long as he wants. He only needs to make every game count.
We may live in MJ’s world now, but with the way the King has been chasing every record, milestone and achievement, it may not take long for him to equal or surpass MJ as the GOAT.
Written by: Le Miguel Ylanan Jumonong