I'm a LeBron fan, have been since about 2005 when I first really really started paying attention. Not a Cavs fan, not a Heat fan, but a LeBron fan. My favorite player in NBA history (not the best, because that belongs to my home state's own Michael Jordan, but my favorite) is Magic Johnson. Magic was 6'9" with overwhelming court vision and the ability to play every position on the floor (see 1980 NBA Finals Game 6). The only player I've seen come along who could do that...you guessed it, LeBron James. And not only did he have that ability and court vision, he's a serious upgrade in athleticism and defense over Magic. He has a Magic skill set but drives to the hole better than anyone in history, what wasn't to love? The only knock on him was that he didn't have a ring for a myriad of reasons (most notably that he played with mediocre talent at best) including the perception that he wasn't clutch enough. Part of assessment was true (he did have inexplicable lapses in some big games), but part of it was a combination of two factors: he's not an indiscriminate shooter at clutch time like Jordan or Kobe, and people have unrealistic expectations based on the idea that he's not worth the hype. Before he learned the value of passing as he got older, MJ never saw a shot he didn't like, particularly at crunch time. Many times taking the shot was a horrible decision for the team; in his youth, he didn't care, he perceived shooting as his job as the team's best player. Kobe, a poor man's MJ through lifelong emulation, also perceived shooting no matter what as his job even when he wasn't the team's best player (Shaq) and he still hasn't learned to pass. Fans are enamored with shooting and often excuse abysmal last second shooting decisions because there's a chance they could see the stud player hit a game winner. If you take many, you'll make some and miss plenty. LeBron follows the Magic Johnson mold. Think about how many games, and close games, the Showtime Lakers won. How many game winners do you remember Magic hitting? One, the hook shot over the Celtics. But every clutch situation, he had the ball in his hands and was trusted to make the right decision, most of the time he would make the right pass and get the assist. Usually Kareem, Byron Scott, Big Game James Worthy, or Michael Cooper would take the pass and score, they'd win and all would be celebrated. With LeBron, opting not to shoot the last shot was seem as giving up and a disappointment. Times when he would take over and deliver in the cluth (last 25 Cavs pts to beat Pistons in 07 Eastern Finals, game winning 3 against Magic, numerous playoff game winners against the Wizards, big fourth qtrs to eliminate 2011 Bulls in Eastern Finals, etc) were quickly forgotten. Times he failed to peform huge crunch time numbered would be most highly scrutinized, even in the midst of overall monster games (losing a series to the Magic despite averaging 35, 8, and 9, losing to the Celtics with 29-14-10 final game, etc). And let's be reminded, he wasn't playing with Kareem, Big Game James, and the boys...he took a squad full of bums to the Finals in Cleveland (Eric Snow?? Drew Gooden???).In his summer of free agency, they did nothing to get him more help, so he left for South Beach. I wish he was still in Cleveland too, but I also wish they would have gotten him one of the 5-6 good big men that were available in free agency at that time. That's when a new level of hate (even jersey burning) started. Then the haters hit the lotto when he (along with D-Wade and Bosh) consistently and inexplicably went ghost at crunch time against the Mavs in the 2011 NBA Finals. I think that level of adversity and scorn was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Instead of worrying about being liked, he finally could live his life with a little bit more "Fuck It", which I believe he needed; Lord know everyone will need some "fuck it" in their life at some point or another. U see what that allowed him to do, carry his partially injured team to the championship despite hitting hard spots along the way. Also, they had to beat a team that had beat 3 teams with championship pedigree (Mavs, Lakers, Spurs) and had a player seen as "the closer LeBron will never be" in Durant. You see what happened when LeBron turned on that "fuck it" and went beast mode. The rest is history. Honestly, all I want for him is this, judge him for how he plays and the array of skills he has, not what he didn't have. Stop hating long enough to be objective and I truly don't think anyone can honestly look at him as a player and dispute that he is special and will be an all time great. But as a wise man...well, a popular ass hole once said, "there'll always be haters that's the way it is, hater niggas marry hater bitches and have hater kids." Stop Me When I Start Lying...
No comments:
Post a Comment