James used Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley and podcast co-host Steve Nash as examples of great players that never won a title. James added that, while their careers are somewhat diminished by some because they didn't win a title, the same thing isn't said about other great players in other sports who never won a ring.

LeBron James criticized the discourse around "ring culture" in the NBA, saying "a ring is a team accomplishment" and pushing back on the idea that a player's individual greatness is measured by how many championships he wins.

On his "Mind the Game" podcast, LeBron James said it's not fair for great athletes to be judged by how many championships they win.