LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the franchise's first NBA Finals victory in 2016. LeBron also began his career with the Cavs back in 2003, left during the prime of his career to ring-chase with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, returned to Cleveland to lead the Cavs to the '16 championship, and then left again for the glamor of Los Angeles to join the Lakers. Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez, meanwhile, is a seven-time All-Star who could have signed for more money with another team in free agency but has taken multiple discounts to stay with Cleveland. The biggest thing missing from Ramirez's resume is the championship.
Cleveland baseball has not won a World Series since 1948. Ramirez did help Cleveland reach the World Series in 2016. The ball club held a 3-1 lead over the Chicago Cubs, but Chicago stormed back and won the Fall Classic in a memorable seven-game series.
Following their 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Guardians are suddenly seven wins away from ending the drought and winning the World Series. There is still work to do, but if Ramirez leads Cleveland to a championship this year, would Cleveland sports fans hold Ramirez in higher esteem than James?
One radio station, 92.3 The Fan, recently discussed that exact topic.
“LeBron is an icon. José is beloved here.”
➡️ @KenCarman on whether a World Series title could put José Ramírez above LeBron in Cleveland. #Guardians
Do you agree? 👀 pic.twitter.com/LmLXxhHtLb
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 13, 2026
Similar debates will continue if the Guardians continue to push toward the World Series. If they win the '26 Fall Classic, the debates will especially heat up.
One quote from the segment stands out.
Article Continues Below“LeBron is an icon. Jose is beloved here.”
Cleveland fans will always appreciate James returning and winning the NBA Finals with the Cavs. However, the reality of the situation is that he left twice. MLB — which does not feature a salary cap — set up Ramirez to land massive contracts in free agency. Instead, he never entered free agency. Ramirez signed multiple contract extensions — which were major discounts — to stay in Cleveland.
World Series or not, Ramirez will always be beloved in Cleveland. Leading the Guardians to a championship would further cement his legacy, though.