NBA star LeBron James recently admitted that he has been through a handful of adversities en route to winning his last two championships. He also bared a bold take, saying that those titles were the hardest to win in the history of the league, as he recalled his successful runs back in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and most recently, in 2020, with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Via Road Trippin’ podcast with Allie Clifton, Richard Jefferson, and Channing Frye:

“The one thing that I know for sure that I’ve been a part of two teams that won the two hardest championships in NBA league history,” he said. “The 2016 Cavs coming back from 3-1 versus 73-9. Being down 3-1 versus one of the best teams to ever been assembled. Two-time MVP. And then what we went through in the bubble.”

The Cavs' 4-2 loss against the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals served as a wake-up call for James and company as they braced themselves for a redemption campaign in the following season. The franchise then assembled its best team ever and with a more complete supporting cast, LeBron James faced the record-breaking 73-9 Warriors with an NBA MVP in Kevin Durant now on their side.

The hometown hero carried his team on his back and willed them to come back from a 3-1 series deficit to ultimately win it all in Game 7, highlighted by his pivotal chase-down block on the streaking Andre Iguodala. The 2016 title eventually concluded a longstanding championship drought that haunted the city of Cleveland for many decades.

Four seasons later, LeBron James found himself overcoming another tough debacle once again as his team took on the 2020 postseason inside the Orlando Bubble amid countless societal and racism issues happening in America. He remained at the forefront of their campaign as they reached the 2020 NBA Finals dominated the Miami Heat in six games to win the Lakers' 17th title in franchise history.

The difficulty of the route that he had to endure to emerge victorious in 2016 and in 2020 only adds to the already enormous legacy of LeBron James on the court. The four-time NBA MVP will aim to add another ring to his collection as he headlines the Lakers' bid for a second-straight title in the upcoming 2020-2021 NBA season.