Jerry West says criticism of LeBron James' Finals record is 'ridiculous'
The Logo has the King's back.
LeBron James' 2-4 Finals record is, and will be, a huge talking point during these NBA Finals, with the very real prospect of James falling to 2-5 all-time as the Cleveland Cavaliers are already in a precarious spot down 0-1 to the Golden State Warriors, who look like the better team. The debate between James' six straight NBA Finals appearances in a remarkably competitive era being impressive vs. the standard of winning titles is at once arbitrary and inescapable. James would be better off having not made the Finals in any year he failed to win the title, rather than winning the conference finals seven times. That's how that line of thinking goes.
ESPN's Tom Haberstroh broke down all the reasons why this criticism is maddeningly unfair, but on Saturday, NBA Hall-of-Famer former Lakers Finals MVP and current Warriors executive Jerry West came to James' defense as well:
Jerry West on critics of LeBron's Finals record: "That's the most ridiculous thing. If I were him, I'd want to strangle you guys."
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) June 4, 2016
"You guys" is presumably "the media," but it's not just pundits and talk show hosts that consider James' perceived Finals shortcomings a disappointment. Social media is rife with commentary from fans that say the same thing. Instead of arguing against the mindless maw of those who look to discredit James' accomplishments, it's better to just accept that it will inevitably be part of his legacy, unless he were to win these Finals, and two more, and somehow come out of his career with a winning Finals record.
The comments from West are also interesting given his own personal career. As a player, West went 1-8 in the Finals. He knows all about being saddled with that kind of reputation. West has an appreciation for the best players in the game, and knows that often it's not an individual player's fault, but rather circumstance that decides their legacy.
Right or wrong, it feels notable that the man known as "The Logo," one of the 50 best NBA players of all time, thinks that James shouldn't be criticized for making the Finals seven times to this point, no matter the outcome.
