Kyrie and AD literally had their greatest postseasons playing alongside LeBron. I could name a dozen players whose careers were made or rejuvenated by playing alongside Bron. You stay making shyt up.
LeBron played 7 years in the league before he left for the Heat. KD played 9 years before he left the Thunder. Pierce played 9 years before he teamed up with KG and Ray. But Bron and KD were "ring chasing immediately" and PP was "at the end of his career"?
The claim that they were "at the end of their career" is total bullshyt. KG was 1st-team All-NBA and 3rd in MVP voting his first year in Boston and was still making All-Star teams SIX YEARS after he joined the Celtics. Ray Allen was still making All-Star teams 4 years later and supposedly "saved LeBron" six seasons after he joined the Celtics. Paul Pierce made half of his All-NBA teams AFTER he formed that superteam and made 5 more All-Star teams as part of that squad.
The KG-PP-Ray-Rondo Celtics had five solid years of serious title contention together. In 2011 all three of them were All-Stars AND Rondo was an All-Star too. In 2012 they made the ECF and took the Heat to 7. But now you want to claim they were nearly washed in 2008?
they were washed before they joined thats the entire reason why they joined
you bring up Rondo as if he wasnt lightning in a bottle and drafted by Boston
that's goalpost moving with the Lebron failed for 7 years and KD failed 9 years
if you are "an all time great" like KD or Lebron you dont skip out on a team you are the captain of
KG, Pierce, Ray Allen were never going to get to the finals respectively, they arent on the level of Lebron or KD.
If you are a legendary talent of KD or Lebron and you dont believe in yourself or leadership ... then you're proving my point. Top players alltime who have the skill and range to close games and win rings dont go hide behind other men.
Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and KG arent dudes who lead the team or move the needle dolo. Nobody is like "better luck next year" for them at any point.
If you wanna move goalposts and circumstance, then you are saying KG, Pierce, Allen are on the same level as KD and Lebron.... or admitting that Dirk, Kobe, Jordan etc players who willed their own teams as captains are miles above these other dudes who folded and ran behind other men
It cant be both ways at once just because you want it to be. I cant say you're a great leader and all time great then put training wheels on your feelings when you admit in round 5 that you cant win or believe in yourself ever winning and leave.
even on the post above me you're trying to compare PG, Kawhi, Kyrie, Ron Artest, Pau etc players that arent all time talents...to Lebron and KD who are both arguably top 20 players of all time. Nobody in history would trade KD or Lebron for any of these dudes or have the ability to impact the game as close. Saying Bulls padded teams to surround Jordan with players, or use Bird Magic era teams who were mostly homegrown as a barometer is cap and lazy. If everyone wants to play with Lebron then why complain about who he doesnt have to help him? and OKC did more than enough to get KD 1 or 2 rings. Only team that did close to as much is Lakers with the Malone, Payton shyt or the Dwight, Artest, Nash shyt.
That is if you ignore the fact that Shaq went to the Heat and won with Dwade immediately... and Gary Payton won in Miami with them at 37 years old... but somehow Lebron and Bosh stacking there is a different story? I would 100% rather have Lebron in his prime with Bosh than Shaq and 37 year old gary payton. Its not even comparable.... saying 26 year old Lebron did all he could is wild boy shyt. I'd gut my entire roster to land Lebron at 26... let alone have him play with 2 other proven allstars, one who's already shown he can win a ring with just Shaq on the squad. The same Shaq that ended up playing in Boston with KG, Pierce and Allen... and Lebron in Cleveland. If you are going to ignore age and impact... then lets blame Lebron for being one of the only dudes who couldnt win with Shaq? It doesnt make sense right? because Shaq was fukking trash at that time period. Same thing with Malone, Payton, Steve Nash, Dwight coming off back surgery, etc. You can compare these broken ass players to legendary 26 year olds, but you're gonna look foolish doing it.
