You rarely see any athlete take the kind of criticism LeBron has over the past few days. I’m having trouble thinking of another instance where someone has had such a brilliant start to his career and had every part of his game and psychological makeup questioned.
There’s nothing wrong with questioning someone’s play after a bad game, but people have attacked his heart, desire, and even basketball IQ in the blogosphere. Supposedly he doesn’t have a “killer instinct” despite the fact that he has single-handedly destroyed many teams in the playoffs previously.
All this, and we still don’t have any real information on the seriousness of his injury.
I don’t know if people are just jealous of his success, like to act like know-it-alls, or just get some weird enjoyment at being able to tear someone down behind the anonymity of the internet. But it’s kind of gross.
Naturally, I want to use this space to opine on the current buzz, so we have a lot to cover today. I will be all over the place so I apologize beforehand.
The above comments from a reader, posted by Abbott on TrueHoop sum up my first thoughts beautifully. What’s with some of the personal animosity right now being directed towards Lebron? So he couldn’t get the job done. I fail to see how that somehow serves as proof of some character flaw. Concluding that his interests lie only in fame and free agency on the basis of his playoff failure is non sequitur for the ages and it’s embarrassing that such jealous, bitter, and shoddy logic is given any weight in the public domain.
Moving on, Lebron is not coming to Houston, so let’s please give that a rest. Chris Bosh is a viable possibility because the Raptors organization has basically resigned itself to his departure and has hinted at compliance for the purpose of making the best of a bad situation. The Cleveland Cavaliers will not sign&trade Lebron. They would just as soon fold up the franchise than aid the greatest player of this generation in his exit out of town. So let’s please stop.
In the post-game, Jamal Mashburn mentioned something to the tune of “…and that’s the difference between Lebron James and Kobe Bryant” in reference of James’ recent failures. Actually, Jamal, the difference between the two is a guy by the name of Pau Gasol, lest we forget Kobe’s inability to even surpass the first-round upon Shaq’s exile or his ‘mailing-in’ against the Suns in a Game 7 so many years ago. But of course, short term memory is great and in fashion these days, so why bother?
Moving along, can someone shed some light on the Cavs’ decision to trade for Jamison at the deadline, turning down the Amare deal? If I recall correctly, the Suns had agreed to the deal, and it was Cleveland who backed away. This isn’t rhetorical, I’m asking seriously, as I was busy covering the Rockets’ highway robbery and didn’t get around to finding out the scoop. It had better not have been a desire to retain J.J Hickson. Because Antawn Jamison was beyond dreadful this series. That little let-me-toss-this-up-quickly floater in the lane is even more horrifying when it’s not falling. The Cavs could have used Stoudemire this series and might still be playing, in my opinion, were it not for that decision. If J.J. freaking Hickson is the reason that the game’s greatest player might be relocating….well, heads need to roll.
Speaking of which, it should be touched on just how bad a job Cavs management has done in its attempts to build a “supporting cast” for Lebron, because I’ve actually seen commendation for Danny Ferry in the past in this regard. Effort should not be mistaken for efficacy. No one is doubting that they’ve tried – they’ve just done a very poor job. Larry Hughes of course jumps to mind, when Cavalier management blew their pot in their sole chance to land a running-mate through free-agency, but of greater interest…why was Wally Sczerbiak’s contract simply allowed to expire last February? Judging by reports on the Nets’ offer of draft picks to the Blazers to take Vince Carter (in exchange for LaFrentz’s contract), the former surely could have been had. If the Cavs resisted to avoid luxury tax pileup, well, they’re going to suffer far greater losses once James leaves town.
Oh, and another thing: I’ve seen different variations of this gem, this morning, in defense of the Cavaliers’ supporting cast (as direct indictment of Lebron) – “if the rest of the Cavs are so bad, then why did they have the best regular season record?” One can only step back and smile in appreciation of the sheer awesomeness of this flawed logic. This is basically akin to one person doing the majority of the work in a group history fair project en route to victory at the school level, and then, upon losing at the state level, being blamed for the failure under the reasoning that the other group members surely carried their weight, with the earlier success held as proof. (Please excuse the odd nature of the reference…personal stuff; still have a bad taste in my mouth…I digress.)
Switching gears, what’s with all of the sarcasm and bemoaning of the disproportional coverage pertaining to Lebron? This is an impending free agency which could potentially shape the next decade of basketball history. Of course that takes precedence over Magic-Celtics! Why should anyone even feel apologetic or sheepish about the intrigue?
Prior to and throughout the game last night, I was thinking to myself, “how do you even begin to explain the significance of all of this to a casual observer?” (sidenote: I don’t think I’ve ever so greatly anticipated a non-Rockets game in my entire life. The clock wouldn’t move, and for once, the 1-hour Seinfeld block on TBS at 7 couldn’t suffice.) This was basketball history before our eyes. Like the moment in any one of our lives when expectations become clearer but the chosen path ceases to exist, but on a far, far, grander, corporate scale.
And of course, I’m one of those who are heartily disappointed that we will never witness a Kobe-Lebron Finals matchup (with both in their primes.) And why should anyone not be disappointed? I absolutely just love this inverted snobbery that seeks to diminish the intrigue of individual greatness, as if curiosity over such should be cause for embarrassment. I like great players. That’s why I watch basketball. I hold the utmost reverence for those men who excel at their craft in any domain and I’m not ashamed to admit that. Excellence/greatness should be lauded and should be praised and cause for inspiration. Imitation of such is a driving force for societal advancement. So excuse me if I don’t quite grasp this pervasive “I hate Kobe/Lebron, I watch team basketball” charade which seeks to delegitimize/disparage ‘greatness’ as if the mindset is somehow reason for boast. And I certainly do feel the sentiment is laced in some psychological underpinnings, whether it be overall life complacency, or envy over the impossibility of similar attainment…I don’t know. But the levels of vitriol directed by some towards sports’ greatest stars has always struck me as very, very odd.
Enough ranting. I’m hoping for Celtics-Lakers at this point not because I think redemption is an awesome theme but simply because I don’t think I can suffer through any more Magic basketball than absolutely necessary. So I abhor watching a team which has been built around a defensive-minded center – sue me. You wouldn’t exactly have ordered League Pass (had it existed) to catch Dikembe’s Hawks take the hardwood for 82.
But no, I think Lakers-Celtics would be great simply due to the theme of redemption (didn’t I just say that wasn’t why this matchup was my wish?) Artest and Bynum provide the beef that wasn’t there the first go-around when the Celts beat the Lakers around like a rag-doll. Primarily Artest. It will be a victory in itself if Bynum is still playing by June. A Celtics-Lakers re-match is like going back with nunchucks to confront the bully by whom you got your *** kicked fifteen years ago, only to find that he now is confined to a wheelchair. With that said, Celtics in 6.
I said yesterday I saw Lebron headed to New York. Since that point, the buzz pertains to the Bulls with James potentially being joined by Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade via sign and trade. Only one problem: please pray tell why the Toronto Raptors or Miami Heat would want anything to do with the contracts of Luol Deng or Kirk Hinrich? That’s counterintuitive. Lebron could still sign there, but Bosh/Wade won’t be joining him, and if either of those teams agreed to it, I would be shocked. I’m talking ‘not-trading-Wally-Sczerbiak’s-expiring-contract-at-the-deadline-when-you-have-the-soon-to-be-free-agent-MVP shocked’.
Final thought in what stands to be the longest column in the history of Red94. Someone please explain this notion that at 25, “Lebron is still very young”, often being used as reason to why he might want to remain in Cleveland. (By the way, forgot to add above that there’s no way he’s staying. If he did, I would be ‘vetoing-Stoudemire-trade-for-Jamison’ shocked.) I think people echoing this sentiment just don’t grasp the big picture. For a guy like Lebron, 25 is not young. It’s not about winning a championship or with the (s) attached. For a guy of that stature, it’s about legacy and hierarchical greatness. He’s going to win a title at some point – that’s not the point. It’s about getting 5 or 6 and challenging for the title of ‘best ever’ because for a guy so gifted, that should be the expectation. In that vein, for that goal, with that playing style and reliance on athleticism, he’s quickly running out of time. That’s why I think he will leave the Cavaliers.
