LeBron no longer concerned with silencing critics

LeBron James is only focused on achieving greatness.

James used to let the chatter distract him when he was younger, but now that he's in his early 30s, he doesn't really care. Having won three titles and four MVPs, with eight Finals appearances in the last 11 years, James really doesn't have anything left to prove.

"No, I'm not in that department anymore. I left that in the 20s," James said Wednesday, as transcribed by ASAP Sports. "I'm not in the 'prove people wrong, silence critics' people department no more. I got a promotion when I got to the 30s.

"So at the end of the day, I mean, I know what I've done and I know what I'm built - I know the way I'm built, my only motivation is to be able to compete for a championship every single year. And I'm sitting here today blessed once again because I put in the work and our teammates have put in the work. So, yeah, that doesn't matter to me."

James is one of, if not the most, scrutinized superstars in the history of the NBA. Questions of legitimacy, of his inability to win, of his ability to perform in the clutch, and eventually of his place in the NBA pantheon, have dominated the conversation for most of his career despite his numerous accomplishments.

So you can understand how James developed his thick skin, and why he doesn't listen to the critics anymore.