If winning a ring was all that matters, then it shouldnāt be a debate that K.C. Jones and Robert Horry are better players than Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, or that Bill Russell is the one and only NBA GOAT.
With all due respect, thatās nowhere near the case. There are many factors one should take into account when assessing a playerās career, and whether he won and ring or not should carry some weight but not be what settles the argument.
Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan seems to agree with that, as he recently talked about all those legends of the game who retired without ever winning an NBA Championship and how that didnāt affect their legacies.
NBA News: DeMar DeRozan Doesnāt Agree With āRing Cultureā
āThere are so many great players that donāt have rings and if you bring up that player versus another player that does have a ring, you will discredit that great player by saying āhe donāt have a ring.ā But you canāt take away all the accomplishments he had in his career because some people donāt even get half of what some of these great players have,ā DeRozan told Taylor Rooks, as quoted by Fadeaway World.
āJust because they donāt have a ring, you wanna say he not like this player. At times, I do feel like itās a lot thrown on it because all these competitors wished they had a ring. Thatās the ultimate thing for us to have but everybody canāt have a ring but that donāt mean you canāt work your butt off and be the best teammate, best player, you could be throughout your whole career,ā he added.
It takes a lot to win an NBA championship. Health, good coaching, a capable supporting cast, and even a pinch of luck. Maybe itās time we stop using rings as the only objective piece of data to measure greatness.
