Why LeBron James currently being in the Hall of Fame sets a bad precedent
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and Caroline Fenton discuss what LeBron James recently being inducted into the Hall of Fame means for other players going forward.
Video Transcript
LeBron James is now officially a Hall of Famer.
He received his Hall of Fame jacket, uh, because of the induction of the 2008 Redeem team that won the gold medal at the Olympics.
That team was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and, as such, Chris Paul and LeBron James were both given jackets, even though they are active players.
This drives me crazy.
I take nothing away from both of these men and LeBron, particularly, there's no doubt he's a Hall of Famer.
Absolutely no doubt he's a Hall of Famer, but he's still playing the game and there's a process.
And to me, that process matters.
When you think about what NFL players talk about when the guy comes and knocks on the door and they find out they're a Hall of Famer, and the weight that you have to go through to wait.
I had the opportunity at the Super Bowl to talk to Eli the day that he found out he wasn't a Hall of Famer and you just know what the process is like for every single player.
There's no doubt that LeBron is a first ballot basketball Hall of Famer, and we're just waiting for that process.
But everybody's had to wait.
Certainly, there was no doubt that Michael Jordan was a Hall of Famer, but he had to wait for his jacket.
Now, I understand it's not his fault that his team was inducted, but without being a hater to anybody in this, can't you simply take that jacket and frame it and hold it as a reason that everyone can be excited for the eventual induction that are coming from players that are still on the court today.
Takes nothing away from the greatness.
In fact, for me, LeBron is my GOAT.
So I'm not sitting here coming into any of this as a LeBron hater.
I'm coming into all of this as a process lover.
To me, what happens when the Hall of Fame comes is that you get to go through this thing that joins you with everybody else that landmark accomplished something that found that fundamentally changed the sport that you play forever.
That's what being a Hall of Famer is about.
It's about the cementing of your legacy for the rest of time.
Yeah, LeBron's already done everything that he would ever need to do and he's been a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer for a long time.
And maybe this is all just schematics, but it's disrespectful to every other player that's ever had to go through the process to put that.
Jacket on early.
Frankly, just being handed the jacket, sit with it, stand with it.
Have it framed behind you.
I don't care.
But putting it on right now is just outright weird for every other great player that we've stood up there and watched and said, hey, on their last game, I can't wait to watch that player eventually don their jacket.
It's not LeBron's fault he's in this situation and I'm not gonna blame him, but the entire situation feels gross to me to have anyone still active in the sport wearing a Hall of Fame jacket.
And now, every single time we watch LeBron play this year, he's gonna have to be addressed as current Hall of Famer, LeBron James.
That is a dangerous precedent to set for the rest of the NBA for the rest of time.
And as great as LeBron is and as important as the Redeem team was, no one player is bigger than the process, including the king.
