There are 3 players that I believe have their time running out to win another ring. It’s nothing against them, but just the NBA is evolving and new stars are on the rise as well as a new team.
- LeBron James
In his 20th season, Lebron James has averaged 29 points per game, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and 33 percent from three.
This season, he overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. As the Lackers weren’t having a very good season and were looking like they wouldn’t make the playoffs, King James delivered everything they needed from him, and now, after the trade deadline, the Lackers have made a run and won 18-9 games during that stretch, and they are in the Play-In against the Timberwolves.
My reason for saying Lebron James won’t win another ring is that he is 38 years old and will be 39 years old starting next season; however, that is not the issue as he missed 27 games this season due to injury. During the past three seasons, James hasn’t played more than 55 games. Even if you’re Lebron James, being in the Western Conference does not make things easier since the playoffs aren’t guaranteed.
2. Kevin Durant
In his 15th season, Kevin Durant is still a scoring machine and efficient at it. During this season, he is averaging 29 points per game, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 56 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.
My main reason for believing that Kevin Durant won’t win another championship is that he is always injured. Injuries plague him and he misses a lot of games due to it. There seems to be an endless list of injuries. The hamstring injury Durant suffered in 2020-21 caused him to miss 23 games. Durant missed nine playoff games in 2019 after suffering a calf strain, and he also suffered an Achilles tear in 2019-20.
He missed 20 games for the Nets due to a sprained MCL in January, then he asked to be traded to the Suns and suffered a sprained ankle, and he has only played 8 games for the Suns this season. During the last four seasons, he has only played more than 50 games in the regular season once, and that was during the 2021-2022 season with the Nets.
3. Kyrie Irving
Believe it or not, Kyrie Irving is 31 years old – he’s no longer a young player. While I love Kyrie’s game and what he brings to the floor with his spectacular plays and killer dribbling skills, it’s not enough to win a championship.
He has averaged 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists this season while shooting 49% from the field and 38% from three. After requesting a trade from the Cavaliers and Lebron James, he has not reached any conference finals or the finals.
As a Brooklyn Net, Kyrie failed to reach the NBA Finals despite playing with Kevin Durant and James Harden. After trading for Kyrie, the Mavericks are now a championship contender. Despite having the fourth seed, they are out of the playoffs after acquiring Kyrie and don’t know where the franchise is going.
Despite Kyrie’s superstar status, a franchise shouldn’t expect to trade for him to win a title since he will only help a team to a certain extent.
