‘It’s Never Enough’: LeBron James criticizes NBA’s obsession with ring culture

Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history—if not the greatest—as evidenced by his illustrious résumé, which includes being the league’s all-time leading scorer.

James has won everything there is to win in his storied career, and at 40 years old, he is much closer to the finish line than the starting point. He is set to return for his 23rd NBA season, which would break the record he currently shares with NBA legend Vince Carter.

James has witnessed all the trends that have come and gone in the league over the course of his career. In a recent episode of his podcast Mind The Game, co-hosted with NBA legend Steve Nash, he criticized the “ring culture” discourse in the NBA, claiming that winning a ring is a team accomplishment—not the achievement of a single individual.

“I do not know the answer. I wish I had the answer to this, but I’m not sure. Man, it’s funny. Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know why it’s discussed so much in our sport, and why it’s the end all, be all of everything,” James said, when asked about the origin of “ring culture” in the NBA.

The 40-year-old cited NBA legends like Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and his co-host Steve Nash—players who achieved greatness without winning an NBA title. He argued that the same standard isn’t used in other American sports, specifically pointing to football.

Ring culture has changed the way people talk about basketball.

Full mailbag episode out now. Watch on our YouTube, @primevideo or listen wherever you get your podcasts: https://t.co/dhAdWMKyni pic.twitter.com/S0GKVkhJ86

— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 17, 2025

“It’s like saying Peyton Manning can’t be in the same room with Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes because he only has two rings. Or telling me that Dan Marino is not the greatest slinger of all time, but he can’t be in the room with those guys because he didn’t win a championship. They don’t discuss those things.

Did Barry Bonds win a World Series? I don’t think so. You can’t sit here and tell me that he’s not the greatest baseball player to ever touch a bat.

I just—I don’t understand where it came from. I don’t know where it started. I just hope that we appreciate more what guys have been able to accomplish.

You automatically dismiss people and their careers when you say, ‘Hey, he didn’t win a ring.’ It’s like, have you actually sat down and looked at this guy’s career and seen what he accomplished?

Jerry West went to like nine straight NBA Finals and was only able to win one, and he’s the logo of our league. You can’t sit here and tell me that, ‘OK, because he only won one, he can’t be in the same room with people who won two or three or four.’”

James speaks from experience, having been heavily criticized for losing six NBA Finals, despite winning four. Still, he is widely included in the “Greatest of All Time” conversation alongside Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan.

Similarly, many view Allen Iverson as someone who redefined the game during his era and changed the way people looked at basketball—despite never winning an NBA championship.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.