LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers are just one win away from an NBA championship.
With James nearing his fourth NBA title, the talk of where he ranks on the all-time list of basketball greats have been revived.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, himself a legendary player, feels that James had to deal with more pressure in his career than Michael Jordan did.
Magic Johnson on ESPN: “Michael Jordan didn’t face the type of pressure (that LeBron does).”
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 9, 2020
Although Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest player in NBA history, James has been encroaching on that territory for several years.
The Akron, Ohio’s statistical accomplishments are almost second to none in the game’s history, just as Jordan set several scoring records back in his day.
What Johnson may have been referring to is the hype machine that’s always surrounded James, and the pressure to meet the expectations that have followed.
Ever since James was in high school, the public has consistently expected greatness from him.
Such pressure has crushed many others, but instead, James has continued to surpass those expectations, even in his 17th season.