Laimbeer pointed out how Bron wanted his teammates involved rather than being a one-man show.
Retired NBA player Bill Laimbeer took pride in his character on the court and whatever came out of his mouth. In 2020, the former Detroit Pistons center was placed in a spot and asked who the greatest player of all time was for him.
It is a never-ending debate, with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Bill Russell often in conversation. But as far as “Lambs” was concerned, Bron was the GOAT in his book.
“I think LeBron in any generation would be doing what he’s doing right now all these years. At the end of the day, I firmly believe that he’s the best basketball player in the history of the game,” the two-time NBA champion stated when he appeared on ESPN’s “First Take.”
Lambs defends GOAT stance
Although he and Jordan had their share of battles, that wasn’t the reason he chose LeBron over Michael. Rather, he pointed out the differences between the two NBA icons when they first entered the league.
“When he came in the league from Day 1, he knew how to involve his teammates to win,” Laimbeer said about James. “That’s something Jordan had to learn for a long time.”
Lambs had a point. From Mike’s first NBA game, Jordan knew he had to do everything he could to help the Chicago Bulls win. However, that didn’t mean MJ was fine with the idea. He asked the Bulls for help, knowing he could not do it alone.
It took the Bulls some time to find the right players to help out the North Carolina product. Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant were added in 1987. However, after several seasons, Chicago figured it out, winning their first title in 1991.
LeBron made teammates better
As for James, there is no doubt that “The King” knew how to get his teammates involved. But for that effort to translate into winning, Bron needed quality talent to make it work. When he entered the league in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 6’9″ forward was under a lot of pressure. “King James” knew that the Cavs wanted to see improvements and fast.
LeBron needed time to figure it out. It took him several seasons to turn the team into a contender. However, he still had to up his game for the Cavs to be successful. James’ effort bore fruit in 2007. He led Cleveland to the NBA Finals but hardly got the support from that roster. Among his teammates at the time were Drew Gooden, Daniel Gibson, and Sasha Pavlovic.
Facing a powerhouse San Antonio Spurs led by Tim Duncan, the Cavs had a huge mountain to climb. Despite being underdogs, the Cavs made a good account of themselves, especially in Games 3 and 4. Despite the effort, Cavaliers management still needed to take in better players to help out Bron. Unfortunately, that never happened, and James opted to move to the Miami Heat in a few years, where he joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
That trio delivered two championships to the Heat. The four-time MVP not only meshed with Wade and Bosh but also with the entire roster. There is no question that despite his ability to dominate games, James knew he couldn’t do it alone. After years of carrying the Bulls, Jordan also figured that out when quality talent came to the Windy City.
As for Bron, he had to mesh with different sets of stars to win NBA titles. He won two with the Heat, one with the Cavaliers, and one with the Los Angeles Lakers. His ability to adjust needed time but turned out successful. One can only wonder if Bron would have won more titles had he stayed with the same franchise. Cleveland would have benefitted from that if only they had taken in quality players to back up the Ohio native.