I watch basketball for aesthetics, primarily individual aesthetics. I like watching men do things I cannot and at a level of beauty I could never hope to achieve. I watch things closely, from moves to mechanics; I observe art.
It’s universally acknowledged that unlike other greats, Lebron James’ game is, for lack of a better term, ‘ugly.’ We know why. There isn’t much grace or finesse. For the most part, he bulls his way into the paint like a smaller Shaq, utilizing a combination of speed and power this earth has never before seen.
But I noticed, when he’s not doing that, when he’s attacking in other ways, the sight is still not pleasing to the eye. Why is this? In last week’s conference finals finale against the Bulls, James carved up the home team with a series of pullups from various spots, much in the way that Kobe Bryant or even Michael Jordan would have done. But whereas we would have ‘oohed’ and ‘aaahed’ and fallen from our seats in reaction to the latter two, I personally thought ‘damn, he’s good’ but felt not that the eye had been treated.
Why is this exactly? What is it that we’re seeing that our eyes don’t like? Is his elbow not straight? Maybe there isn’t enough of a leg kick on the elevation? One hypothesis I formed is that he might just be too big: it might simply look more visually appealing when a skinnier body darts up for the jumper.
The same goes for his handles. Lebron ‘crosses over’ opponents as viciously as any, but you don’t hear talk of emulation or reverence for the move like you do for, for example, Dwyane Wade. Is it just another example of being too big?
