ESPN Analysts Use Miami Heat To Shut Down LeBron's "Ring Culture" Claim

Dec 29, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) (left) posts up against Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) (right) during the third quarter at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

LeBron James is once again at the top of the news cycle. During an appearance on the Mind of the Game podcast with Steve Nash, he was critical of "ring culture." It basically says legacies are defined by championships, which James disagreed with.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Stephen A. Smith responded to the claim Wednesday on "First Take." Both said James helped start the "ring culture" movement when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat in 2010.

"LeBron has contributed to this by himself comparing himself to [Michael] Jordan," Windhorst said. "He's contributed to this by getting up there with the Heat saying, not five, not six not seven, even if that was just a one moment slip ... That's the way he's approached it. He's gone from team to team seeking championships."

While Windhorst and Smith have the ultimate respect for James, they said he is wrong for devaluing championships because of his path to four titles. After Miami, he returned to play for the Cavs and later joined the Los Angeles Lakers.

"If it didn't mean much or shouldn't mean much, why were you so relieved to finally have one," Smith said. "Why did you depart Cleveland to join forces with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to get one?

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