Los Angeles Lakers News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

John Salley On Why LeBron James Has Less Championships Than Michael Jordan And Kobe Bryant

Originally posted on Fadeaway World
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated 5/24/24

John Salley spoke recently about why LeBron James has won fewer championships than Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He noted that LeBron has never been part of a system that generates championships, bringing up the triangle offense of Phil Jackson that allowed Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to win 6 and 5 NBA championships respectively. He added that the same system was adopted by Steve Kerr, which allowed the Warriors to win 4 NBA championships with Stephen Curry.

John Salley: “LeBron never played in a system that breeds championships. The triangle offense had Phil and Michael win 6 championships. They would’ve won 8 championships if Michael didn’t go away… Then to prove that point, they come to LA and he wins 5 championships with the same offense with a great player. But it’s a system. They couldn’t beat the triangle system. Then this guy named Steve Kerr goes and takes a version of it and wins 4 championships with it. It’s a system. LeBron never had this triangle system. It was all, put the weight on him. And anytime you put the weight on somebody without the system, they didn’t win… Yeah, Kevin Durant (going to Golden State) was the smartest move."

Would LeBron have more Championships if he Played in a System???

__________#lebron #kingjames #lebronjames #michaeljordan #mj #kobe #philjackson #johnsalley #nba #nbafinals #stevekerr #stephcurry #triangleoffense #champion #championship #nbachamps pic.twitter.com/64gkMXqfwC
— TFU Podcast (@tfupodcast_xx) May 16, 2024

Salley makes a really good point about LeBron James' career. He has never had such a tactically astute coach who employs a winning system around him to help maximize him and the team around him to compete for a championship. All of LeBron's 4 NBA championship wins have been thanks to incredible performances from him, and his teammates making some key shots at the right time.

For a player as intelligent as LeBron James, he has never really had a coach who can match that intelligence and build a solid team and system around him. The closest James has come to having a tactically smart coach was when he was coached by Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra is a better coach now than he was during LeBron's stint in Miami, but there were flashes of his tactical genius during those years.

LeBron James Is Still In The Hunt For NBA Championships

James, despite nearing the age of 40, is still one of the best players in the NBA and is playing at a consistently high level. Despite being past his prime, James is still an excellent player that can lead a team to an NBA championship, as long he has the right teammates and coaching.

Recently, the Lakers fired Darwin Ham as the head coach of the team. The franchise will now look for a new head coach, but James will not partake in the hunt for a new head coach. James will definitely be consulted by Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss on the final hire, but he won't have an active say in the decision.

The Lakers have been linked to former NBA player JJ Redick as a potential coaching option recently. Redick started a podcast with LeBron James a few months ago, and the two clearly share a strong relationship. LeBron has respect for JJ's knowledge of basketball, and their relationship could play a role in the Lakers' decision.

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: