Floyd Mayweather was annoyed at LeBron James for winning athlete of the decade over him but here’s why The King deserved it
A look back at why exactly LeBron James beat Floyd Mayweather to the athlete of the decade in the 2010s
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Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather has a 50-0 record in his career and is a boxing icon but he was not big enough to beat LeBron James. Floyd felt he should have won the award but here is why Lebron deserved it. LeBron was announced as athlete of the decade in 2020 and rightfully so. He had one of the most consistent and impressive decades of any athlete ever. The King made 8 consecutive finals appearances in the 2010s including 4 championships with the last one coming in 2020.
LeBron also won four league MVPs in five years from 2009 – 2013. The King won back-to-back titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on the team dubbed “The Heatles.” However, King James’ crowning moment of the decade was his title in 2016 with Cleveland. The Cavaliers were up against the 73-9 Warriors and went 3-1 down in the Finals. LeBron and Kyrie went on a historic run and turned it around to win 4-3. “I’ve never seen two guys play at that level for three straight games,” said Stephen Curry while reminiscing about his loss in the 2016 Finals.
Lebron also had his hardships in the 2010s without a doubt. His loss in the 2011 Finals to the Mavericks is a blemish on his career as he performed historically poorly in that series and he has admitted it as well. Lebron also lost 2 straight finals in 2017 and 2018 while winning just one game in the process. The team he lost to was the Warriors super-team but it did tarnish his Finals record.
Also Read: Is LeBron James playing tonight vs Grizzlies?
2018 LeBron James on its own has a claim for athlete of the decade
When NBA fans hear ‘2018 LeBron James’ it triggers a plethora of iconic buzzer beaters, clutch moments, and legacy-defining feats. In 2018 LeBron was stuck with an average Cleveland squad after Kyrie left in 2017 and put them on his back the whole season. Lebron averaged 27 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in 2018 while nobody else on his team averaged even 20 points.
LeBron James pushed Cleveland to 4th seed in the Eastern Conference and no one expected another final run. However, LeBron had other plans that summer. The Cavaliers first-round series against the Indiana Pacers went all the way to 7 games with LeBron averaging 34 points and 10 rebounds that series. Lebron also had an iconic buzzer-beater in game 5 to give Cleveland the edge.
The King then went on to sweep the Toronto Raptors in the 2nd round which birthed the term ‘LeBronto’. LeBron destroyed the Raptors over 4 games including a fadeaway three-point buzzer-beater off the glass to clinch game three in Cleveland. After sweeping the Raptors the Cavaliers were pushed to 7 games against the Boston Celtics too. The Celtics had never lost a playoff series after going 2-0 up and Lebron changed that. After going 3-2 down, LeBron James dropped 46 points in game 6 to take the series to 7 and closed it out in Boston.
However, Lebron did lose the finals in a sweep against the Warriors but no one knocks him for that. The Warriors were an unbeatable super-team at that point and LeBron was the only Cavs player to average more than 20 points per game that series at a staggering 34PPG. LeBron scored 51 points in game 1 of the finals in 2018 which the Cavaliers could have won if not for a costly error by JR. Smith. Lebron James is deservedly the athlete of the decade for dominating his sport and setting new standards for greatness.
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Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)