ProRodeo Sports News - May 26, 2023

EDITOR’S LETTER TRACY RENCK

Guy Allen, shares a light moment during his PRCA record 33rd appearance at the National Finals Steer Roping in 2016 in Mulvane, Kan. Allen is

nicknamed The Legend because he has won a PRCA-single event record 18 world

championships in steer roping. PRCA ProRodeo file photo

James not the greatest ever like Allen and Brazile

A ppreciate LeBron James’ greatness. Appreciate his longevity. Appreciate the countless records he has broken. However, whatever you do don’t call him the best basketball player. As a former sportswriter and sports fan for nearly 50 years, there’s no question in my mind how good James has been in his decorated 20-year NBA career. His latest season came to an end when his Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals on May 22. There are two distinct problems I have with calling James the greatest ever. His record in the NBA Finals is four championships in 10 trips with four Finals MVPs. Compare that to Michael Jordan. Air Jordan was 6-0 in NBA Finals and was the Finals Most Valuable Player all six times. What’s more, he never had a Finals series go to seven games. This leads me to my second problem with James – he doesn’t have the killer instinct. Michael Jordan was the definition of intensity. Teammates followed his lead to glory. Winning wasn’t everything to Jordan – it was the only thing. When players/teams competed against Jordan they knew they were competing to be second best. James has never put that fear in opponents. Translate the comparisons to rodeo and look no further than steer roper Guy Allen. There’s a reason his nickname was “The Legend.” He won a PRCA-single event record 18 steer roping world championships (1977, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1991 2001, 2003-2004).

Allen is the gold standard for steer ropers and his invincibility wasn’t lost on his fellow competitors. “It was an accident winning the steer roping (in 1983). I ain’t supposed to beat Guy Allen,” ProRodeo Hall of Famer Roy Cooper told the ProRodeo Sports News. “He’s the greatest in the world.” Allen made 33 trips to the National Finals Steer Roping and won a PRCA record 47 rounds at the NFSR. When you’re the greatest ever in a sport, whether it be in the NBA or rodeo, you must thrive in the spotlight. The bigger the stakes the better you are. That describes Allen perfectly and other greats like Tom Brady (an NFL record seven Super Bowl titles as a quarterback), golfer Jack Nicklaus (a PGA record 18 major championships), and swimmer Michael Phelps (23 Olympic gold medals). Of course, I would be remiss in leaving out the King of Cowboys in this argument – Trevor Brazile. He has a record 26 PRCA world championships and a PRCA-record 54 combined qualifications for the NFR and NFSR. You don’t have those numbers on your resume if you are not the best all-around cowboy of all time. So, as TV and radio personalities light up the airways the next several weeks heaping praise on James, understand he is one of the best players to ever play in the NBA, but he’s not the greatest. Reserve that summit for Jordan and in

Tracy Renck is the editor of the ProRodeo

Sports News . He previously served more than seven years as a media coordinator at the PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism with the last several consumed by ProRodeo.

rodeo for Allen – in a single event – and Brazile in the all-around. That’s an argument you will not lose.

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ProRodeo Sports News 5/26/2023

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