If you don’t watch or follow Game of Thrones, I’m sorry. If you don’t watch or follow the NBA, I’m sorrier. Both are fantastic, make people wait days and weeks on end to see opponents clash and both sort of remind me of that 50 Cent movie Get Rich or Die Trying, because in both, all that really matters is that you have lots and lots of sex (relevant), have more money than everyone else (relevant) and most importantly, are the most powerful person in your kingdom (very relevant).
In case any of you reading this are hermits, live under a rock or choose to watch re-runs of CSI Miami instead of watch GoT on Sunday nights, here’s a quick synopsis of what Game of Thrones is all about: GoT a medieval-based world where everyone is trying to conquer land, have sex with people they aren’t supposed to have sex with and take over the seven respective kingdoms and in turn, become the all-powerful ruler. It’s filled with weapons, war, incest, power-moves, mortals, half-mortals and people who are immune to fire and own dragons (which is pretty damn cool). The series is perhaps HBO’s best work (and that’s saying something). If you don’t remember anything else about the series, remember this: Everyone is going for the throne (actually, multiple thrones), so until you get there, you kill, pillage and destroy anyone in your way. Once you get there, everyone will come after you until they get what is yours. Thus, it’s a never-ending, bloody cycle that is fantastic to watch. (This also sounds like the NBA if you think about it). Okay, enough about what GoT is. I’m here to tell you how LeBron James, the most powerful NBA player in history and the most influential athlete in sports is eerily similar to one of Game of Throne’s best characters – Daenerys Targaryen.
Who is Daenerys Targaryen?
Daenerys Targaryen is the daughter of someone referred to as “The Mad King” and was born at a place called Dragonstone, which is very relevant. After growing up in someone else’s kingdom after both of her parents died, she was arranged to marry this guy named “Kal Drogo”, who is the leader of the Dothraki. The Dothraki are these long-haired, bearded people who ride horses, rape and pillage villages and think they are all powerful. Eventually, Daenerys realizes that she is super-powerful (spoiler, she is immune to fire and can control dragons) and after Kal Drogo dies, plans to take over the seven kingdoms. Long story short…she falls off her path and ends up in this nunnery-type convent where the widows of Dothraki leaders and destined to sulk and rot forever. After announcing she wants to be a leader, she is laughed at by Dothraki leaders (aka all the men). To get back at them, she burns down a building filled with the leaders (aka men) and emerges naked to the rest of the village of men, soldiers and women bowing at her feet as a sign of their allegiance.
That particular scene, which appears in season 6 episode 4, reminded me of LeBron James’ performance in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. If you think about it, LeBron James and Daenerys Targaryen are pretty similar and I’ll tell you why.
Much like Daenerys, LeBron was disrespected by the NBA and the league’s fans when basketball fans started anointing Steph Curry as the new best player in the world. While the sample size is small (just the NBA Finals series) and while some may say I have fallen victim of the moment…LeBron is still and always has been, the best player in the NBA. Similarly, Daenerys is (IMO) the single most powerful character in GoT.
Here are the ways LeBron and Daenerys are similar:
Physical gifts:
LeBron is a physical specimen at 6’8’’ 250 lbs. I’m also convinced he’s an alien, because when he dunked that alley-oop from Kyrie Irving earlier in the NBA Finals I’m pretty sure he caused a 37 on the Richter scale. Daenerys is also a physical specimen, seeing as how she is immune to fire and can control dragons.
Cool nicknames:
LeBron is dubbed ‘King James’, much like Daenerys, who is often referred to as “queen” or “mother of dragons”. King or Queen, I don’t think you can get much better than that as far as nicknames go.
Followers:
LeBron has a loyal following across the planet, but also at the same time, has people that think he is a chump (which, I mean, get out of here). Daenerys has a kingdom of people willing to eat out of her hand…sort of like LeBron. Huh, weird.
Naked capabilities:
LeBron has a chiseled physique and Daenarys is a dream (sorry, Daenerys seems to get naked quite a bit and it’s pretty great).
They have really big teams, with really big rings:
LeBron, much like Daenerys, needed help to begin to take over the NBA aka the Seven Kingdoms. LeBron tried to win a ring on his own in Cleveland with a cast of beggars and imps, but after joining in forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, he truly hit his peak winning ways and won a few rings. Like LeBron, Deanerys, too, needed help. So, she decided to join up with The Imp (aka the second best character in GoT) and they’re bound to take over some kingdoms and cause destruction in the process.
Dragons:
The next part is just creepy: Both LeBron James and Daenerys Targaryon have dragons that they can use at their disposal to destroy empires. Daenerys has these three dragons that we have seen grow into fire-breathing, reptiles of death that are by far the scariest aspect of GoT. So too, has LeBron. If you aren’t aware, LeBron’s three dragons are Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith. I mean, have you seen them? One game Kyrie goes and gets 41 points, puts Steph Curry in a skate-able body bag and put on one of the most memorable NBA Finals shows in history…all because LeBron James told him to do it. The very next game, Game 6, Tristan Thompson had 15 points, hauled in 16 rebounds and Tasmanian-deviled his way through the Golden State Warriors lineups, all while earning that 82 million dollar contract he signed last offseason. And J.R. Smith, where do I start? He reminds me of Sylvester Stallone in the first Rambo movie. Rambo always had AK-47s and was shooting them at people, so too, is J.R. Smith always firing crazy three pointers and teetering on utter madness on a basketball court. Oh yeah, he also had this no-look alley oop to LeBron late in the game that somehow perfectly sums up J.R. Smith in one play.
So, yeah, LeBron just calls on these guys and they burn shit down, just like Daenerys’ dragons. And, just like Daenerys did in Season 6 Episode 4, LeBron burned down the Golden State Warriors’ game plan/fan base and emerged, once again, the most powerful, best, unworldly, God-like player in the NBA.
Ultimately, I think Daenerys will end up on top in the Game of Thrones world-domination saga. I also happen to think – before it’s all said and done – LeBron will be known as the best basketball player the world has ever seen.
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