John Salley spoke recently about why LeBron James has won fewer championships than Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He noted that LeBron has never been part of a system that generates championships, bringing up the triangle offense of Phil Jackson that allowed Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to win six and five NBA championships, respectively. He added that the same system was adopted by Steve Kerr, which allowed the Warriors to win four NBA championships with Stephen Curry.

John Salley: “LeBron never played in a system that breeds championships. The triangle offense had Phil and Michael win six championships. They would’ve won eight championships if Michael didn’t go away… Then to prove that point, they come to LA and he wins five championships with the same offense with a great player. But it’s a system. They couldn’t beat the triangle system. Then this guy named Steve Kerr goes and takes a version of it and wins four championships with it. It’s a system. LeBron never had this triangle system. It was all, put the weight on him. And anytime you put the weight on somebody without the system, they didn’t win… Yeah, Kevin Durant (going to Golden State) was the smartest move.”

Proposed Trade Sends Mikal Bridges To The Denver Nuggets For Next Season

Read More

Salley makes a really good point about LeBron James’ career. He has never had such a tactically astute coach who employs a winning system to help maximize him and the team to compete for a championship. All of LeBron’s four NBA championship wins have been thanks to incredible performances from him, and his teammates making some key shots at the right time.

LeBron James, despite his intelligence as a player, has never had a coach who could match his level of intelligence and build a solid team and system around him. The closest he came to having this on the sidelines was in Miami with Erik Spoelstra.

LeBron James Is Still In The Hunt For NBA Championships

James, despite nearing the age of 40, is still one of the best players in the NBA and is playing at a consistently high level. Even though he is past his prime, James remains an excellent player who can lead a team to an NBA championship, as long as he has the right teammates and coaching.

Recently, the Lakers fired Darvin Ham and the franchise will now look for a new head coach, but James will reportedly not partake in the hunt. James will definitely be consulted by Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss on the final hire, but he won’t have an active say in the decision.

The Lakers have been linked to former NBA player JJ Redick as a potential coaching option recently. Redick started a podcast with LeBron James a few months ago, and the two clearly share a strong relationship. LeBron has respect for JJ’s knowledge of basketball, and their relationship could play a role in the Lakers’ decision.