Reggie Miller had a great career which rightfully landed him in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He retired as the NBA’s 12th-leading scorer and all-time leader in three-point field goals made. The long-time Indiana Pacers star was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. While he had a great career, he is rarely mentioned as even a top-ten player of all-time. That did not stop Rashad McCants from claiming his career deserves more respect than LeBron James.
Speaking on the Gil’s Arena podcast, Brandon Jennings asked if he respects Miller’s legacy more. The former NBA player responded:
Yeah. Yeah. Because Reggie didn’t have nowhere near the pieces that LeBron had during his journey and I think that if Reggie would’ve had those pieces, his legacy would’ve been.
While McCants’ point came down to loyalty, it is still a difficult case to make. James has won four championships and four MVP awards in his 21-year career. Although Miller’s legacy as a postseason performer cannot be overlooked, he made the NBA Finals just one time, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. He also never finished higher than 13th in MVP voting.
While is understandable that some players and fans may dock LeBron for his free agency decisions – particularly his summer 2010 move to the Miami Heat – McCants appears to be punishing the move far too much. After all, James already had one NBA Finals appearance and two MVP awards upon leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time.
LeBron James unlikely to leave the Los Angeles Lakers to play with Bronny James
LeBron James has been very vocal about his interest in playing with Bronny James. While he holds a $51.4 million player option, he is unlikely to sign with a team just because they draft his son. Shams Charania of The Athletic shared as much during a recent appearance on Up & Adams, stating:
It would not surprise me in the coming weeks, if a team does reach out to Rich Paul or anyone else around Bronny James or anyone else who has any idea or LeBron James himself, and says, ‘Hey, if we draft Bronny James, would you come as well LeBron?’ And the answer to that is going to be no, as of right now. That’s not a given, that’s not something that’s going to be preordained.
While James could opt to become a free agent for the first time in six years, he is expected to return to the Los Angeles Lakers. The franchise is in the midst of an ongoing process to name their next head coach. LeBron averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game in his 21st season. He shot 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from three-point range and 75.0% from the free-throw line.
