Everybody wants to be associated with a winner. In sports, the ultimate goal is a championship ring or a trophy. Some of the best players get overlooked when talking about "the greatest of all time" if they don't possess that championship milestone. Charles Barkely, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, all considered the best. The best to never win one that is...Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russel, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and unarguably the best player to ever play the game Michael Jordan, these elite group of guys are unquestionably the legends of the game. Why? Because they have the hardware, the rings and trophies, CHAMPIONSHIPS!
The Lakers ruled the 80s and the Bulls ran the 90s. These teams built championships, had early struggles and overcame adversity. As of late it seems as if teams are no longer "building" championships. Now they're buying them. Getting the best group of guys together on one team. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen join forces with Paul Pierce in Boston and have instant success, no real struggle. An all-star line up, instant championships. More recently, Chris Bosh left his team in Toronto to join Dwayne Wade in Miami. Lebron James decided to "take his talents to South Beach". He has been criticized so much for this. Lebron left his hometown in Cleveland where he was considered the only true "star" on the team. While he was there they were perennial contenders, the best regular season record in the league. When playoff time came around they would come out short, facing teams that had multiple all-star caliber players. His impact on that organization was tremendous, they went from first, to worst after he left.
At the end of the day all people (fans) care about is wins and losses...Kobe Bryant got into some legal troubles with an alleged rape conviction. He lost his endorsements, and a majority of his fans. Then he won back to back championships and Finals MVP awards. Now he's back on TV, has a shoe deal and people glorify him again.
Leaving a team, not finishing your career where you started...does this hurt the legacy for guys like Chris Bosh and Lebron James? It didn't hurt for Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen, as Ray went on to not only be an NBA champion but also the all time 3 point leader in history.
Is the risk worth the reward? Well, If Bosh, Wade and James have success in Miami and can win that championship it would do nothing but solidify them as some of the best players EVER. What elite list do you think they want to be associated with? The Barkley, Ewing, Malone list? Or the Michael, Magic, Larry list? That's a no brainer. Joining forces with the best to win does NOT hurt your legacy. Without the championships there is no legacy.
No comments:
Post a Comment