Throughout the #Kang Chronicles, his greatness (or lack-thereof to some) has been the fervent topic of debate on these boards for many, many years. Yet in his 15th year, some things have crystallized such that the anomaly of his legacy cannot be denied.

Even more - he is the most influential player of his generation and has changed the game more than anyone not named Michael Jordan. In many respects, he is on par (or perhaps has even surpassed) the influence that MJ had on the game - particularly from a player empowerment perspective.

But just look at the next generation of talent and how they approach the game. It's far more LBJ than MJ. The era of guys trying to be "the next Jordan" is over. Kobe Bryant did by far the best impersonation - but there is only one Michael Jordan. Bron's move to Miami generated this seismic shift - and influenced the "team-first" approach to a multi-faceted/sharing brand of basketball that now typifies the league's greatest team: The Warriors. They play unselfish, Lebron James basketball. Curry kicks to the open man - Durant has never had a problem sharing the glow, and they play a pass until you find the open man kind of game with such greatness that has LBJ DNA all over it.

The new breed (guys like Simmons and Super Saiyan Zo )are guys who have a Lebron influence rooted in their games. They aren't trying to be like Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant, or Carmelo Anthony --- they want to be like Lebron James - on and off the court.

And that's precisely where Lebron's influence transcends binary thinking (c) Billy Walton.

He completely empowered the player to author their own narrative and take their agency into their own hands (just ask Kyrie). Love him or hate him - Lebron James is the most influential player of a generation - and perhaps will go down as the most influential in terms of how he's not just changing the way the game is played (team-oriented, sharing the glow) - but changing the entire labor/union/business landscape of the player and his active approach to navigating his own career.

Poll question: Most influential player of a generation

Poll result (3 votes) Lebron James (3 votes) Vote

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It's not really that hard, although if you want to argue Diesel was actually better than Wade in 06 I'll listen.

>It's not really that hard, although if you want to argue
>Diesel was actually better than Wade in 06 I'll listen.

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while we're at it - might as well throw in Robert Horry for good measure #becauserings

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Oh, I got it -- whichever will make Kobe look bad and Bron look good

My post was in no way a commentary on Shaq vs Bron.. These mofos can't wrap their head around Kobe winning 2 more rings w/o Shaq with his 2nd best player being a dude who went 0-16 in the playoffs before he got to LA...

#butbutbutstatsthatdontleadtorings


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everything but them ringz erneh..
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do you actually think Kobe > Lebron?

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Cause I think today's basketball is more typical of post-triangle, Popovich hybrid with some innovations coming from young/new coaches like Snyder and Kerr and influence of the free flowing Euro style game.
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cscpov.blogspot.com

"There's a fine line between persistence and foolishness..."
-unknown

"To Each His Reach"

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He's outspoken about social issues without inflaming the status quo, like you said he's created a new era of mobility for ballplayers who can now not only choose their destination but also through their attractiveness bring other star players into a team to play, and has found success as a pitchman, business owner, and cultural icon.

But as a basketball player, he's less of an influence. Not so much because of his style of play, but because he's the only athlete capable of playing his style. In music terms he'd be Public Enemy. Arguably the best at their particular style and shattered the ceiling on what was possible. But because no one else was in their lane, they really never passed the torch to anybody and the same is the case with LeBron.

You could maybe say that Ben Simmons is his heir apparent but again, that's only one player. Like him or not, the real game changer has been Curry, if only because now kids are shooting in the aim of being the next Curry like kids worked on their jumping and aerial game after seeing Jordan.

As far as LeBron's game influencing the league, again he's been such a iconoclastic player that it's impossible to build a team of similar players. Likely the influence you refer to is the result of European basketball influencing coaches like D'Antoni and Phil who influenced Pop whose style filtered into Kerr.

But hey, to me LeBron is the best of his generation and is the heir apparent to Jordan, not Kobe, as the best 'winner' in the game.

He definitely reinvigorated the sport with a fresh style of small-guard dynamism in a new way (absurd range from anywhere - greatest shooter in the sport) - but Curry followed in Bron's footsteps in terms of *approach* to winning championships. Before Bron - guys were not teaming up like G.S. did - like OKC is doing - like Houston is trying to do etc....The team-ball metnality/share the wealth approach is uniquely Lebron James in the modern era.

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>He definitely reinvigorated the sport with a fresh style of
>small-guard dynamism in a new way (absurd range from anywhere
>- greatest shooter in the sport) - but Curry followed in
>Bron's footsteps in terms of *approach* to winning
>championships. Before Bron - guys were not teaming up like
>G.S. did - like OKC is doing - like Houston is trying to do
>etc....The team-ball metnality/share the wealth approach is
>uniquely Lebron James in the modern era.
>

I agree with 75% of this. Bron is definitely the reason why folks like Durant had the sense of freedom to join the Warriors and ironically why Kyrie had the confidence to find a team to suit his needs since he saw, like the rest of us, LeBron change teams solely to boost his status.

I was gonna say that I don't agree with your statement about Bron's style directly influencing the modern tactic of overpassing in the league.

But those Heat-le teams, to me, seemed like a natural extension of the Kobe Laker teams in that they had players who were good passers and liked to put those players in positions for easy shots. The Heat did like to pass more that the average team at that time.

But I don't think the Heat is the team which directly influenced the style of basketball after '12(?). To me the collection of players that took passing to a new level were the Spurs teams that almost beat the Heat in '13 and did beat them in '14.

But by and large your statement is sound.

The only one that you couldn’t possibly say that about is Wilt.

You mean the guy that literally was the catalyst for the merger, and influenced everyone from street-ball legends to MJ and multiple players in between? The one with the fro from the 70's, but a gentleman and an ambassador for the game in some of the most turbulent times in basketball, and in American history?

I think Dr. J has a GREAT argument

>He completely empowered the player to author their own
>narrative and take their agency into their own hands (just ask
>Kyrie).

>as the most influential in terms of how he's not just changing
>the way the game is played (team-oriented, sharing the glow) -

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this could even be selling him short, or it could be typical vex hyperbole.

Against no one

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being the most influential is about putting your stamp on how other guys play. it's weird how ball-dominating guards like iverson and marbury turned out to be real influential. aerial forwards like elgin baylor and connie hawkins back in the day.

one of the things i think is TBD--maybe with time or just thought--is the "positionless" thing with lebron. here vex draws a line from him to the way teams are built today. i disagree with that. do-everything guys like lebron have existed before (magic, oscar) and are easy to see in any era. the guys like draymond green, boris diaw, lamar odom, kevin garnett, et al, i see them as being maybe more novel or influential, you also have coaches like d'antoni and kerr moving that movement.

the influence of lebron to me is more on the leadership and business sides of the game than anything. it's hard to copy what he does because one in 10,000 pro players have that kind of talent.