In a 2021 interview on the DNP-CD podcast, former NBA star John Stockton shared his thoughts on LeBron James’ way of winning championships. He also talked about the formation of superteams and James’ influence on the front office.
In the interview, Stockton said:
“I think it would be maddening as a teammate to know that you could be expendable for one of [LeBron’s] guys that he thinks he needs to play with.”
Stockton and the host, Chad Fisher, discussed how teams struggled whenever James decided to leave. Draft capital became a rare resource for teams led by the Lakers star as those organizations went all-in to get him, trading away valuable assets for a chance to win with him.
On the topic of title contention, the league shifted in 2010 when James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. After James’ decision got him two championships, a few players followed in his footsteps and also jumped ship in hopes of obtaining a ring. One major example was Kevin Durant, who joined the Golden State Warriors and won two championships with them.
Not everyone was pleased with this move, including Stockton—who was an intense competitor. The Hall of Fame point guard stayed with one team, the Utah Jazz, throughout his professional career; but fell short of winning a title. His team went on back-to-back trips to the finals in 1997 and 1998, where they were defeated both times by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Referring to players who took a relatively easier championship route, Stockton compared their journey to someone who chose to ride a helicopter to reach the top of a mountain instead of climbing it.
“I like where guys just tighten their belt up and say, ‘You know, what? Let’s go to work. We just got to get better. We got to play harder. We got to play smarter.’ Instead of just, ‘Huh, where’s the grass greener? I’m gonna go there and win a championship.’ I think it devalues that,” Stockton remarked.
Dwyane Wade defended LeBron James’ move to Miami
In a 2020 interview with JJ Redick on the “The Old Man and The Three” podcast, Dwyane Wade defended James’ decision to join Miami and form “The Big Three” with him and Chris Bosh.
“No one gives any backlash to the championships Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan won. Michael Jordan played with other Hall of Famers. You don’t win championships without playing with other guys that are great,” Wade said.
Wade started talking about it at the 5:35 mark of this video:
The trio won two titles in Miami and reached the NBA Finals four times in a row.