LeBron the GOAT!

            King James has proven time and time again that he deserves to be known as the greatest basketball player of all time, yet, haters don't stop coming up with laughable reasons he's not.

            What LeBron has been crushed for in the past is basically admitting he needed someone to teach him how to be a champion. In doing so, he left a team honorably after his contract was over, and went to Miami to learn from Dwyane Wade what it takes to bring home a title. This is what's called humility, a quality that makes him great not just on the floor but, off as well.

            The biggest reason most use for being mad at him is "The Decision." Just to be clear, that means people are mad at a guy for hosting a televised event which he used to raise over 3 million dollars, all for charity. Since then he has financially put hundreds of children through college and opened a free school with amenities no other school has ever offered to students from that income bracket. These things scream to me that, he's trying to make the world a better place.

            The Qualifications that decide who is the GOAT are: skill, leadership, winning and ability to dominate a game. The GOAT must have all four. Arguably, he may not have as much skill as Kobe Bryant, he may not be as great of a leader or done as much winning as Michael Jordan, he may not be as dominant of force as Shaquille O'Neil, but he's the best combination of all four areas we have ever seen on the court.

            For those of you stuck in the past saying no one can top my GOAT, stop trying to use LBJ's time with the Lakers as proof he's not as great as Jordan or Bryant. Lakers are his Wizards, his thank you contract. You didn’t hold those things against MJ or KB. No one ever says, well, "His Airness" would be the goat if he didn’t play out his career in Washington and lead them to a 37-45 record each year. Nor do they say, "The Mamba" would be the greatest if he didn't steal that last contract from the Lakers, resulting in 0 finals appearances and a dismantled franchise for years to come. At least LeBron didn't give up mid-season and leave his team to go mess around on the diamond, or single-handedly tank a season while demanding a trade because he chased off his co-star before realizing he couldn’t win without one. In addition, LeBron carried the Cavs to the finals without a player close to the equivalent of Scottie Pippen, Shaq, or even Pau Gasol in '07 and '18, something neither MJ nor KB can claim.

            LeBron came to the Lakers to be a star at more than just basketball. Before you say, that’s why he's not the GOAT, this doesn't erase the things he did in the first 15 seasons of his career to become the GOAT. His time with the Lakers, especially the underwhelming stretch since he injured his groin on Christmas day, is just the latest pathetic excuse to not acknowledge his excellence. Let's not forget, as of the moment of his injury, he had that team of oft-injured castaways and infants in fourth place. That’s not fourth place in the "awful east," as everyone calls it to downplay his eight straight finals appearances. We're talking about the "vastly superior western conference."

            To begin the season, he came to Hollywood with every intention of teaching his teammates how to win. As he was trying to figure out the most effective way to do that, he realized they weren't getting it and he knew in order to keep this team in playoff contention, he had to revert from "teacher LeBron" to "I got this LeBron." Unfortunately, at 34 years old he found out something we will all learn at some point, and that is, everyone's body will give out eventually. No matter how many hours and dollars you put into maintaining your's, father time is undefeated.

            During his recovery, the coach and supporting cast couldn't even keep their record good enough to be in a playoff spot. So, why exactly should he have faith in any of them? Now, LeBron is trying to carry a group that has proven they aren't worthy of playoff contention, back into a top 8 seeding. On top of that, he's trying to play his way into shape at his heaviest ever playing weight because it's hard to do cardio while healing a pulled groin.

            To make matters worse, Rajon Rondo and Lonzo Ball, who should be bringing the ball up the court so the old man can have a break, can't stay healthy. These two players, who are frequently missing, are also large keys to making their team defense successful. At some point, the obstacles may even be too much for the GOAT to overcome this season but, I wouldn't bet against him next season if I were you.

            Just admit it already, not only is LeBron James the basketball GOAT, anything he does from here out can't diminish that, and he's also a guy we should all strive to be more like in our personal lives!