LeBron James is one of the most consistent winners in modern American sports. While his World Cup record might be 4-6, no one has enjoyed dominating the league throughout LeBron’s tenure in the most seasons or seasons in which his group has excelled.
This season wasn’t one of those, as LeBron slipped to the team’s worst record of his 19-year career and missed the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to recover from this year’s disappointment, and King James is looking for inspiration wherever he goes.
LBJ got a chance to see the Stanley Cup up close and in person before the start of the World Cup Finals. The Stanley Cup is awarded to the winner of the National Hockey League (NHL) Finals. This year’s finalists are the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning.
LeBron touched the cup, something that many people think no athlete should do if he doesn’t win the cup. This myth is usually only applied by hockey players (for obvious reasons), but it will be interesting to see if people bring up this myth during any tough patch in next year’s Lakers season.
The Stanley Cup is the oldest league cup distributed in North America, first awarded in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club. The cup and the league surrounding it have millions of dollars now, but the prestige around the cup remains the same. It has a history rivaled by the old football leagues in Europe, which is quite impressive.
LeBron James won’t be taking to the rink to play ice hockey anytime soon, but you can see his eyes light up while looking at the trophy. He’s well aware of what it feels like to win and lose at the highest level, so perhaps admiring the cup gave James a boost in his crawl to come out shooting next season.