King James is the only player to play a starring role in three different champion teams from different cities.
Cheryl Miller was the greatest female hooper before the WNBA was born. She won three Naismith trophies and two NCAA titles in college and was even drafted by the US Basketball League, a men’s league. Although her career ended with an injury at the age of 24, many consider her the GOAT of women’s basketball.
During her recent appearance on The Mark Jackson Show, Cheryl was asked by the former Golden State Warriors head coach her opinion on the men’s GOAT debate involving Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
“You know what?” said Miller. “It’s a 1A and 1B, and it flips for me. Michael Jordan, what he did and where he took the game…It was obvious, there was a game and there was Mike.” So it’s a sentimental favorite. You know it’s definitely Mike.”
Winning everywhere is a strong argument for LeBron
But while Miller picked MJ as her GOAT, she praised LeBron for being a freak of nature. She says it’s beyond generational what he did to the game with his physical gifts and what he has is unfair.
Cheryl then went on to say that LeBron’s ability to move from one team to another and win a championship for every franchise is unique. And that gives him a strong argument in the greatest of all-time debate because Mike could not do it.
“After Chicago, that was pretty much it,” added Miller. “And I don’t mean it in a bad way. But after Chicago…But LeBron, he bounced around. I mean, who does that? Who leaves Cleveland, bounces down takes heat, the first time they didn’t win it, but wins in Miami and decides to take his talents back to Cleveland and then win a title and bounce to L.A. and then win a title? Mike, love him. But after Chicago, it’s crickets. That’s a strong argument for LeBron.”
A different take from Cheryl
LeBron’s decision to leave Cleveland in 2010 after failing to win a championship in his first tour of duty with the Cavs has been used against him by his haters. They say he only won two rings because he formed a Super Team in Miami, added a third ring because of another Super Team in Cleveland, and that his fourth ring is from a Mickey Mouse title with a third team.
Meanwhile, Mike took all the beatings early in his career with the Bulls and kept improving. When management finally got him the right supporting cast, he led them to six championships in eight years. But as Miller pointed out, there was nothing from Mike after that.
Cheryl does have an interesting take on this matter. Because Jordan fans will say that Mike had nothing left to prove after his sixth ring. But while that’s correct, winning with multiple teams is more complicated. So far, only Robert Horry, John Salley, Danny Green, and LeBron have won rings with three different teams. Only LeBron has done so while playing a starring role.