Kevin Durant stole the show in the 2017 NBA finals against LeBron James’ Cavaliers, winning its Most Valuable Player, leaving the remainder of the league scrambling to figure out how it’ll attack this historical power. LeBron has been in the unique position of being the voice of the league for almost a decade now and in doing so has more often than not controlled the narrative of the NBA season. With the Warriors becoming the machine they are and the rest of the league treating this as an arms race, LeBron will have to push a new roster to championship heights that looks to be a groups of misfit toys. This begs the question, Is LeBron still the King?

In a career that’s been under the microscope for almost 16 years now, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar, LeBron James, has handled some unbelievable highs and some devastating lows. In his remarkable career he has faced the Detroit Pistons of the mid- 2000’s, the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs and the Big 3 orchestrated by the Boston Celtics. After a historic comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals, overcoming a 3-1 deficit, a new monster emerged. A historically embarrassing collapse from the Golden State Warriors perpetuated the hard pursuit of then Oklahoma City Star, Kevin Durant.

LeBron being the only non-Celtic to take his team to seven straight finals is incredible, but this will be the first time in a decade James is not the talking point of the league. Many prognosticators doubt the idea of James winning another championship. This is embarrassingly disrespectful to the the four-time league MVP, who has carried the reputation of the NBA for a decade-plus. The additions made by OKC – adding both Paul George and Carmelo Anthony – alongside reigning MVP Russell Westbrook is just a microcosm of what the NBA is doing to dethrone the machine in San Francisco.

Some of the pressure is now off of LeBron, which is strange to say considering the scrutiny his career is constantly under. The league has made great strides this past offseason, creating star-studded rosters and buzz among fan bases. LeBron however, will be at his best as he always is as the King of Akron.