Let me start by saying, I know Peyton had a ring before he got to Broncos. But, I need you to expand your mind a bit and let’s go to some deeper levels.
LeBron and Peyton’s situations in a lot of ways are totally different, the aforementioned ring, the fact LeBron was a prime free agent that freely chose to go to the Heat while Manning was subtly pushed out of Indianapolis because of an injury and ended up with the Broncos.
LeBron is in the middle of his career and Peyton is toward the end, but one thing ties their situation together. That nagging feeling that while they are great, they should be even greater. It is something that LeBron dealt with head on when he decided to take his talents to South Beach. The first year LeBron was with the Heat they overcame a sluggish start and quickly became the favorites to win the NBA Title. They went up against a team in the Mavericks that were heavy underdogs.
You know what happened, LeBron was just average and the Heat were upset, spawning talk about how LeBron had legendary skills, but simply came up small when it mattered most.
Peyton Manning’s first year with the Broncos started a little shaky, but then they caught fire on their way to the #1 AFC Seed, going against an underdog Ravens team. Manning played well, but a crucial INT in double OT contributed to the Broncos defeat and the whispers that Manning was a great regular season QB but not a great postseason QB became louder.
In LeBron’s second year with the Heat, they were even more dominant than the 1st year. Once again, they were top seed and cruising along when LeBron met his old nemesis the Boston Celtics. The Celtics took a 3-2 lead in the series with Game 6 at home.
In Peyton’s second year with the Broncos, they were even more dominant than the 1st year. Once again they were cruising along when Peyton met his old nemesis Tom Brady in the AFC Championship.
LeBron in Game 6 against Celtics….
45 points, 15 rebounds & 5 assists
Peyton against Patriots in AFC Championship…
32/43 400 yards 2 TDs 0 INTs
You know what happened afterwards with LeBron. He is a back to back champion whose legacy is being compared to the greatest players of all time.
Peyton Manning is already one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but with one more win, similar to LeBron he can lose that “but”….
Peyton Manning is a legend, but…..
You could say that LeBron and the Heat as a whole weren’t quite ready their first time around, but that experience and failure has fueled their current run. Maybe The Broncos weren’t ready last year, but right now everything they want is staring them in the face.
And like the Heat it won’t come easy (OKC and Spurs are two of the best teams around), the Seahawks have one of the best defenses (and best secondary) in the NFL. If LeBron loses in the NBA Finals after his performance against the Celtics it just becomes a footnote, not a turning point.
We will know in 2 weeks, if Manning’s win over the Patriots is just a footnote or the turning point when you can confidently state your case that Peyton Manning is indeed the GOAT.