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Forward thinking: Celebrating LeBron's greatness
May 2, 2010
COMPETITIVE DRIVE
"LeBron has always had the competitive drive, coming right out of high school and having the success that he did. He has a great work ethic. During the offseason, when the cameras aren't around, he's working very hard on his game, developing new assets.
"He entered the league not shooting the three point shot, now he's a three point shooter. He didn't have a strong low post game, now he does." -- Bernard King
"Incredible. All the great forwards have competitive drive and that's what separates us from other players." -- Jerry Lucas
"He wants to be the best. He's very close to it. In my day, we had Baylor, West, Wilt, Russell and Oscar -- there was a short list. Well, LeBron is on the short, short list. "I guess a player comes along once every 50 years when we get someone of LeBron's skills." -- Dolph Schayes
"Boundless. He's one of those players who won't be denied. He's fearless on the court." -- John Havlicek
"Oh, yeah, he's a competitor. You're talking about one of the best players to ever play the game. He plays hard. He gives his best effort every time he steps out onto the court. I respect and admire that. He leads by example. He plays hard."
-- Rick Barry
"It speaks for itself. He jumped from high school, straight to the NBA and started shattering records. The rest is history." -- Scottie Pippen
"On a scale of 1-10, it's a 10, because he loves to play. When you love to play the game at this level, that competitive edge, it's really hard to put a number on it because you would get out there and play for nothing. "LeBron is a major force in terms of the competitive edge that he has. He's very competitive" -- Dominique Wilkins
"I think that he's very competitive. It's a realization that no matter what happens in his career that if he doesn't win championships he'll be looked upon as a great player that couldn't win. I think he understands that."
-- Kevin McHale
"It's just wonderful to watch. It's no accident that the best players in the league have this unbelievable drive and passion for the game and they all make a lot of money -- God Bless them -- but I think they would have the same attitude if they were playing in the YMCA." -- Billy Cunningham
"It's as good as I've seen. He shows it in his emotions. He shows it in his conversation and he shows it on the floor with his physical abilities."
-- Julius Erving
VERSATILITY
"He's not only the most versatile player in the game, he's one of the most versatile players to ever play. I look to Magic when I think of versatility. Like Magic, LeBron has the rebounding, the passing and the scoring to elevate his team." -- Bernard King
"There's not much he can't do. There are other forwards that have shot the ball better. He's a good shooter but not a great shooter. Sometimes he's streaky but he can do so many other things that he can overcome that without a problem.
"We're talking about one of the very, very, very top players who has ever lived." -- Jerry Lucas
"You can play him at any position -- forward, guard or center -- and he'll be outstanding and probably would make All-NBA at each one."
-- John Havlicek
"His post-up game is probably better than most but it's not the best part of his game because he doesn't post up too much. Playing at the small forward position, I give him an A+ while I give his post-up game an A. He can play all five positions, coach and sell tickets."
-- Dolph Schayes
"He can dribble, he can pass, he can score. He probably could coach if they allowed him to."
-- Rick Barry
"He's the most versatile player in the NBA. Versatile as far as his mind, his knowledge, his ability to do things on the defensive end, to defend different positions. He can play four, five positions in a game." -- Scottie Pippen
"He's a hybrid type of player that can play multiple positions. He can basically do whatever he wants. Depending on who the Cavs are playing against, LeBron can even play a little center." --Dominique Wilkins
"You think of left, right, forward, back, up, down -- he's got the whole package. He's a tenacious defender. He applies himself defensively, which is the biggest improvement in his game. A fierce shot blocker, who is not afraid to make the play and go for the steal. "Offensively, he dictates to the defense how he's going to be played. They don't dictate to him. He dictates how you're going to play me on a given night. "If I have all the pieces working -- inside-outside and my passing game, I'm unstoppable. That's LeBron."
-- Julius Erving
"He's as versatile as it gets. He can play four out of the five spots -- one, two, three, four. He probably could play five if he wanted to. "What he's becoming is just a more athletic version of Magic." -- Kevin McHale
"I think we're seeing more and more versatility of LeBron when I watch him. I love to watch him when he gets in the low post because I think he creates more problems for teams. "It just reminds me of coaching against Boston when [Larry] Bird was a perimeter player then all of a sudden he went to the low post. Now, what do you do? Do you double him? Do you let him go one on one? Because they're such good passers and they make their teammates better. Whereas out on the open court, in a set offensive situation, you can take away something. You can force them to be a perimeter shooter or force them to the left, whatever it may be but when he gets to the low post with his quickness and size, either he's bigger or he's quicker or probably both whoever's playing him and it just adds a great deal more pressure into the low post." -- Billy Cunningham
DEALING WITH PRESSURE
"If you're going to be a great player, you have to thrive on pressure and I think he does. That's what you dream of. There's no fear of failure. He wants that responsibility. You have to relish the last minute or two of a basketball game." -- Billy Cunningham
"LeBron welcomes the pressure. He welcomes the situation when he can dominate a game when it counts the most. He takes it upon himself to carry the team himself." -- Bernard King
"It doesn't seem to bother him because he's used to taking the big shot and actually wants to take the last shot, which is a sign of a great competitor." -- John Havlicek
"He's demonstrated that he's been able to do that. He's made key plays at the end of the game, made shots at the end. He isn't afraid to take shots at the end of the game and that's important. Some players get into those situations and they don't want the ball. LeBron wants it. "His teammates want him to want it because they have confidence in him and they trust him." -- Jerry Lucas
"I think he loves pressure but he also wants to control pressure by wanting to be the go-to guy." -- Dolph Schayes
"There is no pressure for great players such as LeBron. Pressure doesn't exist. Pressure only exists when you don't have confidence in your ability to do what it is asked of you to do in critical situations. "I never felt pressure when I played basketball because I had confidence in my ability to do what I had to do. There is no real pressure." -- Rick Barry
"At this point in his career, I think he's dealt with pressure as good as anybody that plays the game today. When you have the love of the game, it brings out a different type of player. A guy will do anything to sacrifice himself for his team. He does that." -- Dominique Wilkins
"Absolutely, he's a pressure player, big time. This game is not about perfection. Perfection is not to be had out there. He has shown on the big stage that he is a pressure player." -- Julius Erving
"I think he understands that he's not going to make every shot, which you got to take them. If you miss a good shot at the end of the game, well, that's the way it goes. At first I think he was thinking that he had to be perfect and put a lot of pressure on himself in making them. "I think he's evolving into, 'Hey, I'm going to get a good shot, I have a lot of confidence that it's going to go in.' "The thing about him is that he'll make the play at the end of the game, too. He'll drive in there and make the pass as well as the shot. He's understanding that he even though he initiates the play, it doesn't mean he has to score. He's a great at just starting the play and let whatever happens, happens."
-- Kevin McHale
"He's a floor general on the basketball court, both on the offensive and defensive side of the court. He's able to do a lot of helping, roaming. A real good team defender."
-- Scottie Pippen
WILL TO DOMINATE
"He has a great competitive spirit. He not only wants his team to win but he wants to dominate and prove that he's the best at least for that night." -- Billy Cunningham
"When you see LeBron run down the court, seemingly out of nowhere, to block an opponent's shot, you see his will to win right there. He'll do whatever it takes. He'll put his body on the line."
-- Bernard King
"The closer the game is, the more he wants to dominate." -- John Havlicek
"It's a mindset to want to dominate. He imposes his will on a ballgame." -- Bernard King
"He's got a tremendous ego, which is obvious but I think you have to have. You look at Bird, Magic, Kobe, MJ, they all do. You have to have this ego where you want to be the best." --Dolph Schayes
"Detroit, Playoffs, 2007. Forty eight points, scored his team's last 25. Enough said." -- Rick Barry
"He dominates every time he steps on the basketball court. He's just so far ahead of everyone else, physically and his jumping ability. He may not win every time but he dominates." -- Scottie Pippen
"All great players want to dominate. It's in their blood. All great players want to be the guy to put that team on his shoulders and take them to the next level. He's willing to take that step to take his team to the next level. LeBron is a force. To have great athletic ability and to be a great basketball." -- Dominique Wilkins
"You see LeBron taking over more. He wants the top guy in the fourth quarter. He wants the ball. He's going to attack." "In the Will to Dominate, sometimes you have to incorporate everyone else and sometimes that can hurt you, too." -- Kevin McHale
WILL TO WIN
"There are some nights the last thing you want to do is play basketball but you have to have that will. There is great responsibility on the shoulders of LeBron because people come to see him play and in many cities they only see him once a year, so there is the added responsibility of performing. And he performs. And the fans don't feel like they got cheated because he always delivers." -- Billy Cunningham
"He doesn't expect to lose every time he walks on the floor and that's what makes him a great player." -- John Havlicek
"He wants to win. It's about winning. When you win a lot of individual awards
-- All-Star Games, MVPs, Hall of Fame, top 50 -- I equate that to the candles, icing or the cherries--all of the wonderful decorations that are on the cake. When you take those and put it on the plate, how good do they look? You need the cake. The cake is the championship and you need the title to put all of those endorsements on and LeBron is about that." -- Rick Barry
"He will keep that hunger until he wins the championship. He has a burning desire to win. He's on the verge of a championship. He's a dominant force. The Cavs are going to rely on his shoulders. "He knows that he will ultimately be judged by what his team does, not what he does."
-- Scottie Pippen
"He's a mix of different guys. His explosiveness and his ability to take the ball to the rim, it can be shades of myself, James Worthy or Dr. J. And the guy who can put it on the floor. "You have certain guys who are unguardable in this league. He's one of them."
-- Dominique Wilkins
"LeBron has gone on record that he wants this. He's shows it night in and night out and he understands."
-- Julius Erving
"If LeBron wins one title, I think there's no question that he's going to say, "Hey, I have to win a couple. If they start talking about Larry, Magic and Michael -- all of these guys are multiple winners -- so I think he has a bigger goal ahead of him. "Before you get two championships, you have to get one. I think he's got the perspective that he has to make every season count." -- Kevin McHale
GREATEST ATTRIBUTE
"His leadership skills. His teammates love to play with him. When you're on the floor with a talent such as LeBron, you don't want to let him down. Those guys elevate their game because you're playing next to LeBron James. He doesn't have to say anything. He forces them to be better." -- Bernard King
"His versatility. There are so many things he can do. He can do things that other players are never able to do. I don't recall a forward in history who can take the ball to the hoop and do the things that he can do physically. He's head and shoulders above others."
-- Jerry Lucas
"His athleticism. They say Dwight Howard is Superman, well, I think LeBron is more Superman because he flies through the air with the greatest of ease while Dwight jumps through the air with the greatest of ease." -- Dolph Schayes
"He's so versatile. He's streaky with his shooting but if his shooting is going, he's impossible to cover because he can go to the basket, he can create or pass off. He sees the floor. He's just a fabulous basketball player. I'm a huge fan of his."
-- Rick Barry
"His speed and quickness and ability to get to the hoop is maybe the best I've ever seen." -- John Havlicek
"He's good at everything. There isn't one thing that he isn't great at." -- Scottie Pippen
"At his age, it's his knowledge of the game. You can tell that he studied the game early on and that makes him so much better than the rest. He's a student of the game." -- Dominique Wilkins
"His body, the way he's built. He's massive. He's ambidextrous. He's fast. He's very precise in terms of his adaptability to situations. He can stop on the dime. He plays with his head up. He sees the floor. He has a playmaker's mentality." -- Julius Erving
"Physically, he's so strong, power, strength and quickness. His size is unreal and his willingness to pass the ball, to involve his teammates. I think those are his greatest qualities." -- Kevin McHale
"It's very simple. It's his passion for the game. Watching him play, he would be playing basketball some place and trying to knock your head off even in a pick-up game. The game is very important to him. He displays that every night he steps out on the court. The effort and passion he shows. You never hear someone say that he never gives his best effort on a particular night." -- Billy Cunningham
"LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world." -- Charles Barkley
"When I watch LeBron James, a lot of times I think he's just out there teasing with the teams. He's getting other people involved early. Now, he can make the shots. He's awesome to watch. "He's one guy in the league that I think he'll probably be better than all of us when it's all said and done." -- Larry Bird