As the clock winded down in game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the young Boston Celtics, Jeff Van Gundy emphatically stated that the victory for LeBron James, which solidified his eighth straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, was the most impressive feat of his career. Whether or not the statement is true, the playoff run spearheaded by James was reminiscent of the run he made at the age of 22, when he carried a weak team all the way through the Eastern Conference past the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons. The dominance that LeBron displayed in game 5 against Detroit, where he scored 48 points and at one point scored 25 straight points for the Cavaliers, has been sustained for this season’s entire postseason; his 44 point burst in Game 6 against Boston marked the seventh time that he reached the 40 point threshold in the playoffs.

Yet, even as the accolades will continue to be poured on until Thursday evening, when the NBA Finals begin, all that LeBron James has done this year will be forgotten when he loses in four or five games against either the Rockets or Warriors. Although the 2007 run is widely considered his greatest accomplishment, his loss to the San Antonio Spurs that ended that season is still remembered by many, especially LeBron haters.

The entire basketball world just witnessed the best conditioned athlete of all time push himself to near exhaustion and drag a group of players that has performed poorly for much of the postseason to the Finals. In just two weeks or so, he will probably be blown off the court by Golden State or Houston, two of the best offensive teams of all time. His record in this round will fall all the way down to 3-6, and the memes and the ridiculing on social media and debate shows will just pour on. Kevin Durant will probably be proclaimed the greatest player in the world if his team emerges as champions.

Following Cleveland’s victory last night, Brian Windhorst seemed somewhat bittersweet, maybe because he anticipates another loss for LeBron. It is this generation’s responsibility to make sure that people recognize the value of LeBron, even as he continues to lose in the NBA Finals.