Lebron gets shade for making the finals , never understood that , you'd think Micheal played 6 seasons in the NBA.
Only NBA fans can make making the finals a bad thing lol.
I have MJ over Lebron but I need somebody to explain why Lebron gets chirped for making the finals instead of losing in the first round like Mike did
I’m a Jordan guy here too, but I’ll do my best to comment with my perception of it all.
There’s a lot that goes into it. The shade that LeBron got for making the Finals and losing is almost entirely concentrated in his first two appearances and the build up before that first championship win. He came up extremely small in that first year in Miami and this was after he had a tantrum the two prior postseasons when he walked off the court against the Celtics and Magic after they deep sixed him and the Cavs. I’m not going to comment on The Decision, other than all of it made him extremely easy to root against, which some simply never got over.
I think over time, most neutral fans can recognize that seeing a player take part in eight consecutive Finals in the modern day carries its own mystique, regardless of results. I think most also understand that most players are likely going to lose three out of four to the Warriors dynasty.
But if we can be fair and neutral in that, we can also acknowledge that when Jordan was getting knocked out in the first round, it’s because his Bulls were playing some of the greatest teams ever assembled.
As a rookie, Jordan faced the Bucks who had the third best record across the entire league and had just played in the ECF the prior season against the all-time Celtics. Then back to back losses to those Celtics. Those are the first round losses that I always hear LeBron only defenders rip Jordan for, and even worse, it’s always been such a popular talking point for the talking heads, even though no thought whatsoever has gone into it.
Then they run into the other semi-dynasty Pistons in subsequent rounds and take a game deeper each time against them three years in a row before getting over the hump.
In regards to the point about losing in the opening round, the East was a lot stronger in MJ’s time. LeBron missed the playoffs entirely in his first two seasons—though very close both times-and then yes, he was able to get out of the first round fairly easily since he played the .500ish Wizards the next three years in a row and other fodder like the Pistons and Bulls (39 and 41 wins) before bolting to Miami.
I’m sure someone might respond with an equally lengthy reply telling me why I’m wrong, but I’m commenting purely on the first round exit perception and providing some context that those with an agenda never provide.
