LeBron James has never been a man to keep his mouth shut. In a recent interview with NBATV, James suggested he should be on basketball’s equivalent of Mount Rushmore. He went on to list Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and (after some deliberation) Oscar Robertson as the four he would include on the monument.
Just in case anyone’s head wasn’t suitably turned, he added “if they don’t want me to have one of those top four spots, they’d better find another spot on that mountain.”
James’ comments have incited discussion all over the world, particularly at this past weekend’s All-Star Game, where the league’s stars were assembled. Kobe Byrant weighed in with his top four, replacing Robertson from LeBron’s list with Celtics’ great Bill Russell.
The controversy around the interview stirred enough chatter that Russell himself reportedly weighed in over the weekend, telling James before the game “thank you for leaving me off your Mount Rushmore.”
Russell continued, “I’m glad you did. Basketball is a team game, it’s not for individual honors. I won back-to-back state championships in high school, back-to-back NCAA championships in college, I won an NBA championship in my first year in the league, an NBA championship in my last year, nine in between. And that, Mr. James, is etched in stone.”
Well said, Bill.
While LeBron is busy envisioning his face on the side of a mountain, we take a look at four famous monuments that would be better suited for LeBron than Rushmore.
Four Statues that are More “LeBron” than Mt. Rushmore
Statue of Liberty (New York, USA)
The statue – America’s symbol of freedom, hope and liberty was a gift from the people of France in 1886.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Why it works – LeBron’s arrival in Cleveland as the first overall pick in 2003 was all the hope Cavs fans needed.
Why it doesn’t – Seven years later, LeBron left his home state and legions of devastated fans in the midst of his self-created media circus The Decision. Thankfully, Lady Liberty decided to stick around New York Harbor.
The Thinker (Various)
The statue – Auguste Rodin’s famous philosophical sculpture depicts a man resting his head on his hand, deep in thought.
Why it works – There were 28 full size castings made of Rodin’s sculpture, which is perfect. LeBron is much closer to solidifying his place in the top 28 NBA players of all time than he is the top four.
Why it doesn’t – It’s right in the name. A talker, sure. But a thinker? No.
Charlemagne (Paris, France)
The statue – The statue of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, ruler of the western world from 768-814, stands in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Why it works – You won’t recognize this statue, even though you may have been right next to it. Overshadowed literally and metaphorically by Notre Dame, King Charlemagne is missed by most tourists visiting Paris. LeBron, if only he knew what was good for him, would see that he is as yet overshadowed by the four (or more) men with more rings, points, and years in the league than him.
Why it doesn’t – LeBron is “king” in nickname only. Charlemagne was an actual king and an emperor, and his nickname was “The Father of Europe.”
Michelangelo’s David (Florence, Italy)
The statue – Michelangelo’s David is a 17-foot Renaissance masterpiece that thousands visit in Florence every year.
Why it works – Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Michelangelo gave his sculpture a disproportionally large head in relation to the rest of its body. The sculpture, originally intended for a cathedral’s roof, was created with an especially big head (and hands) so that the church-goers below could make out the most important details even from far away.
In the meantime, LeBron just demanded he be counted amongst the best in NBA history despite not having cracked the top 30 in any major statistical category. So yeah…his head’s gotten pretty big.
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