LeBron James feels it is ludicrous to judge a player on the number of NBA championships they have won.

James is a four-time NBA champion and a four-time NBA Finals MVP.

His last championship ring came back in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

But the 40-year-old, the NBA's all-time leading points scorer, believes fantastic players who did not manage to win a championship are often not given the credit they deserved, as he hit out at the "ring culture" within the league.

Speaking on his Mind the Game podcast, James said: "Trying to nitpick an individual because he was not able to win a team game or a team match – or whatever the case may be – I don't know where it started, but it's a long conversation, especially when it comes to me individually.

"It's so weird. It's never enough.

"I don't know why it's discussed so much in our sport and why it's the end-all, be-all of everything.

"Like OK, 'You weren't a great player [because] you never won a championship.' Or if you won one, you can't be in the same conversation with this person.

"You sit here and tell me Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley and Steve Nash weren't unbelievable?

"Like, 'Oh, they can't be talked about or discussed with these guys because this guy won one ring, or won two rings.' It's just weird to me."

James stressed that winning a championship should be viewed as a team achievement.

"I don't understand where it came from. I don't know where it started," he added.

"I just hope we have to appreciate more of what guys have been able to accomplish, what guys have been able to do.

"A ring is a team accomplishment, and if you happen to have a moment where you're able to share that with your team, that should be discussed. 'This team was the greatest team,' or 'that team' – you can have those conversations."