'It's like saying Peyton Manning can't be in the same room as Brady' - LeBron James proved himself wrong while trying to make a point

Umm, LeBron, with all due respect (and he's due plenty of respect), what are you talking about? 

Look, I'm a Vols guy. I love Peyton Manning. I'm a huge fan of the guy and the way he played the game and the way he carries himself (and by the way, LeBron, Peyton has two rings), but he absolutely isn't in the same conversation as Tom Brady. 

Brady has seven Super Bowl rings. Seven! He's the greatest of all time. No one is in the same room as that guy. Not Mahomes, not Manning, not Aaron Rodgers, not even Joe Montana. Brady is one of one. Seven rings is all you need to say to win that argument. 

So I'm not sure what LeBron is going on about. Ring culture is a thing in every sport. And it should be. Competition is all about winning. And there's no higher mountain to climb than winning a championship. The elite players who are the best natural leaders are the guys who can lead a team to a championship. It's not like the New England Patriots always had the most talented roster, but Brady helped lead that group year in and year out. The same goes for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Sure, he had Scottie Pippen, but we've seen more overall talented NBA teams that didn't win it all. 

Rings matter. And they're discussed in every team sport. 

Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time because he has seven rings. 

Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time because he has six rings. 

Derek Jeter is the best shortstop of all time because has five rings.

Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and Jimmie Johnson are the greatest NASCAR drivers of their generations because they all have seven championships. 

Dan Marino, on other hand, is never in those conversations because he doesn't have a ring. Aaron Rodgers' legacy is questioned because he only has one ring.

The example LeBron used really just helps prove the opposite of his point -- every athlete is ultimately judged by how many times they reach the ultimate mountaintop in their sport. 

And that's the way it should be.