Ok, so by now, most of you have had a chance to absorb and digest LeBron's historically bad Game 5 performance. It has media-types going WILD and has spawned stories that have him bolting for New York Thursday after Game 6, stories saying he doesnt care about winning and stories claiming he's quitting on his coach and teammates. While all these theories have a bit of truth in them, they are far from definitive answers as to what the hell is going on. Look, as many of the pundits have said, it's not the fact that the chosen one had a bad game. Bad games happen to the all time greats. The alarming part is his lackidasical attitude and general reluctance to take the game into his own hands.
Look, I'm a Kobe fan through and through. I've attempted to hide this from none of you. The part that sucks for me is that when he came into the league and throughout his first few years I liked LeBron James a lot. Deep down, I'm hoping he comes to the Knicks or Nets because it isn't often that you get to be around greatness. With all that said, I've soured on LeBron for various reasons. The no handshake after losing to his Olympic teammate and "FRIEND" Dwight Howard made me sick to my stomach (and on a side note, most writers, analysts and fans let him skate for it when no one can deny that if Kobe did that he would get crucified). The other thing that bugs me out is all the insistence that he's surpassed Kobe as a basketball player.
Look, from a completely unbiased perspective, I think this is false. LeBron is the most physically dominant and overwhelming force in the NBA today. But that doesn't make him better than KB24. Kobe is calculating, fundamentally near-perfect and the most cerebral, mentally strong player possibly in NBA history. He doesn't "free-ball" it so to speak. And LeBron HIMSELF has credited his time with Kobe on the Olympic team as what transformed him from an average defender to an All NBA defender and helped make him the player he is today. My favorite sportswriter Bill Simmons of ESPN (a world renowned Kobe hater) said that Kobe should have stayed home and NOT played for the Olympic team because it would have given him more years of dominance, instead, by playing he showed LeBron, Carmelo, Dwight and D-Wade the kind of work that needs to be put in to become a player that will be forever remembered. I want to add a quote Simmons wrote after Kobe took over in the Gold Medal Game and brought it home for us, and then I promise I'm done with the Kobe-LeBron angle:
"Third, for most of the Games, Team USA had an alpha dog issue. Was this Kobe's team or LeBron's? Fast-forward to 8:13 left: Fernández's three cuts the lead to two; the crowd is going bonkers. Spain's bench reacts like a euphoric 15-seed during a March Madness upset, and the U.S. calls timeout. All along, my biggest fear had been a tight game and multiple USA guys saying, "I got it!" Instead, everyone deferred to Kobe, who made some monster plays to clinch it. Know that in the history of the NBA we have never had the best-player-alive argument resolved so organically. Incredible. Kobe, you have the Lord of the Flies conch. Use it wisely."
With all that I've said about both Kobe and LeBron, know that I believe them to be the 2 best players in the league in some order and expect this to continue for 2-3 more years. But back to LeBron on Tuesday. Every writer saying that this singular performance has the ability to define his career is simply overstating the game's impact and grasping for a story. It DOES have the potential to define his career THUS FAR, but for a guy who has 12 years of quality basketball left, the former is a severe overestimation. Every great player is entitled to a few bad games, but do we as fans allow a game where the "best player alive" quits on his team?
It happened with Kobe. Twice infact. Game 7 vs. Phoenix and game 6 vs. Boston. He had developed a bad rap and had a ton of venom spit in his direction, but then he won the title and got the monkey off his back. This is what we need to see from LeBron. No one cares when a superstar has a bad game, but his lapses during the game and his seemingly unfocused approach are what hit us the hardest as NBA fans. It allows us to question LeBron's heart and desire to win, two things that despite similar lackluster performances, never came into question with Kobe (he was enraged with management and his teammates, but the desire and hunger were and are unflappable). If the Cavs don't bounce back in game 6, and LeBron doesn't play his ass off, forget about a monkey, LeBron will have an elephant on his back. The thing people seem to be forgetting is that the game is in HIS hands. How he plays in game 6 will be how we remember him for AT LEAST the next 12 months.
There are 3 potential outcomes to Thursday's monumental game 6.
#1 LeBron eviscerates the Celtics to the tune of about 40-8-8. Cavs win.
#2 LeBron eviscerates the Celtics to the same numbers. Cavs lose.
#3 LeBron puts up a dud. Cavs lose.
If it's option 1 then suddenly the Cavs have life and can still win a title this year and it all just looks like a hiccup, provided they win game 7. I have to believe that options 2 and 3 both lead to Bron-Bron skipping town for New York, Chicago, Miami, LA or Oklahoma City in that order. If it's option 2 then it'll become evident that Cavs management can't surround him with the talent he needs to become the best ever. Option 3 probably makes him realize he's burnt out and needs a change of scenery. Both options will have Clevelanders throwing up in their mouths. One way or another, the spotlight, pressure and microscope are focused solely on LBJ on thursday night, and it's time to see if he can finally pass that test, show some heart and accept the baton; to see if the King finally can earn his monicker and his crown. The world will be watching. LeBron, We're Waiting...
Look, I'm a Kobe fan through and through. I've attempted to hide this from none of you. The part that sucks for me is that when he came into the league and throughout his first few years I liked LeBron James a lot. Deep down, I'm hoping he comes to the Knicks or Nets because it isn't often that you get to be around greatness. With all that said, I've soured on LeBron for various reasons. The no handshake after losing to his Olympic teammate and "FRIEND" Dwight Howard made me sick to my stomach (and on a side note, most writers, analysts and fans let him skate for it when no one can deny that if Kobe did that he would get crucified). The other thing that bugs me out is all the insistence that he's surpassed Kobe as a basketball player.
Look, from a completely unbiased perspective, I think this is false. LeBron is the most physically dominant and overwhelming force in the NBA today. But that doesn't make him better than KB24. Kobe is calculating, fundamentally near-perfect and the most cerebral, mentally strong player possibly in NBA history. He doesn't "free-ball" it so to speak. And LeBron HIMSELF has credited his time with Kobe on the Olympic team as what transformed him from an average defender to an All NBA defender and helped make him the player he is today. My favorite sportswriter Bill Simmons of ESPN (a world renowned Kobe hater) said that Kobe should have stayed home and NOT played for the Olympic team because it would have given him more years of dominance, instead, by playing he showed LeBron, Carmelo, Dwight and D-Wade the kind of work that needs to be put in to become a player that will be forever remembered. I want to add a quote Simmons wrote after Kobe took over in the Gold Medal Game and brought it home for us, and then I promise I'm done with the Kobe-LeBron angle:
"Third, for most of the Games, Team USA had an alpha dog issue. Was this Kobe's team or LeBron's? Fast-forward to 8:13 left: Fernández's three cuts the lead to two; the crowd is going bonkers. Spain's bench reacts like a euphoric 15-seed during a March Madness upset, and the U.S. calls timeout. All along, my biggest fear had been a tight game and multiple USA guys saying, "I got it!" Instead, everyone deferred to Kobe, who made some monster plays to clinch it. Know that in the history of the NBA we have never had the best-player-alive argument resolved so organically. Incredible. Kobe, you have the Lord of the Flies conch. Use it wisely."
With all that I've said about both Kobe and LeBron, know that I believe them to be the 2 best players in the league in some order and expect this to continue for 2-3 more years. But back to LeBron on Tuesday. Every writer saying that this singular performance has the ability to define his career is simply overstating the game's impact and grasping for a story. It DOES have the potential to define his career THUS FAR, but for a guy who has 12 years of quality basketball left, the former is a severe overestimation. Every great player is entitled to a few bad games, but do we as fans allow a game where the "best player alive" quits on his team?
It happened with Kobe. Twice infact. Game 7 vs. Phoenix and game 6 vs. Boston. He had developed a bad rap and had a ton of venom spit in his direction, but then he won the title and got the monkey off his back. This is what we need to see from LeBron. No one cares when a superstar has a bad game, but his lapses during the game and his seemingly unfocused approach are what hit us the hardest as NBA fans. It allows us to question LeBron's heart and desire to win, two things that despite similar lackluster performances, never came into question with Kobe (he was enraged with management and his teammates, but the desire and hunger were and are unflappable). If the Cavs don't bounce back in game 6, and LeBron doesn't play his ass off, forget about a monkey, LeBron will have an elephant on his back. The thing people seem to be forgetting is that the game is in HIS hands. How he plays in game 6 will be how we remember him for AT LEAST the next 12 months.
There are 3 potential outcomes to Thursday's monumental game 6.
#1 LeBron eviscerates the Celtics to the tune of about 40-8-8. Cavs win.
#2 LeBron eviscerates the Celtics to the same numbers. Cavs lose.
#3 LeBron puts up a dud. Cavs lose.
If it's option 1 then suddenly the Cavs have life and can still win a title this year and it all just looks like a hiccup, provided they win game 7. I have to believe that options 2 and 3 both lead to Bron-Bron skipping town for New York, Chicago, Miami, LA or Oklahoma City in that order. If it's option 2 then it'll become evident that Cavs management can't surround him with the talent he needs to become the best ever. Option 3 probably makes him realize he's burnt out and needs a change of scenery. Both options will have Clevelanders throwing up in their mouths. One way or another, the spotlight, pressure and microscope are focused solely on LBJ on thursday night, and it's time to see if he can finally pass that test, show some heart and accept the baton; to see if the King finally can earn his monicker and his crown. The world will be watching. LeBron, We're Waiting...
