SerpApi.Org
Throughout most of the NBA's history, many have argued that the Western Conference has been a far tougher environment to play in than the Eastern Conference.
Despite the top-heavy names the East has always had, including icons like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, the West has always been a powerhouse conference due to its widespread talent, no matter the era.
For James, that statement has always been one of his greatest criticisms, as analysts have always pointed to a lower volume of 50-win teams in the East, ultimately calling LBJ's eight straight Finals appearances a "cakewalk."
James was always bothered by the East's critics
It didn't matter whether James was in a Cleveland Cavaliers or a Miami Heat uniform; he always displayed iconic championship runs during those stints, which were also corroborated by his memorable individual performances and accolades.
However, no matter how absurd his numbers and playoff performances were, LeBron couldn't catch a break, as numerous media members and fans would give him a hard time for being present in the East.
"Obviously it's all about the competition and the players," said LBJ. "The players dictate where the best conference lies when it comes to competing. So, when I first came into the league, obviously you had Shaq, Kob, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, you had all those guys, you had Dirk, you had all those guys in the Western Conference."
"But then, as I got a little bit older when KG, Paul and Ray, and myself, DWade, Allen Iverson, and Gilbert Arenas, all those guys were in the East, we started making a name for ourselves as well," he added.
"It all depends, it changes, it fluctuates on, okay, the Eastern Conference got it going this year, Western Conference got it going. I know when I was in the Eastern Conference for a long time, we hated to hear always that Western Conference is the best. 'Cuz when I played in the East, there would be Eastern Conference champions, there would be Western Conference champions. It wasn't like the West would win 10 straight finals. It wasn't like that," he said.
James proved the doubters wrong
Contrary to popular belief, James would do what all of his doubters thought he couldn't do.
In 2018, LBJ transitioned to the Los Angeles Lakers, aiming to establish himself as a dominant force in the Western Conference. In his first season in L.A., James would suffer a groin injury in December that nagged him for the rest of the season, leading the team to miss the playoffs.
During the 2019-2020 season, however, James wanted to remind everyone of the longstanding narrative that had died down during that year as the Lakers were the best team in the conference and looked like they could finish the job.
"Us being No. 1 in the West, there was a lot of conversations about, 'LeBron can do those things in the East but if he ever came to the West, what could he do?' I heard all of that," said James. "To be able to have our team at the top of the Western Conference, playing the way we were playing at that time and the way I was playing, that's definitely a good feeling."
Ultimately, James would prove everybody wrong when the Lakers won the championship in the NBA Bubble in 2020, adding a fourth ring to his legacy.
