We're really still not tired of debating Bron-Bron by now? His woeful late-game shooting, his patented fadeaway hairline, his sometimes-newsworthy mother: LeBron James has to be the biggest character in sports, though his personality doesn't warrant it. So why does he get all the attention? Well, in case you haven't heard, James has been better than the majority of the NBA since he was 12.
His plight is well-known: the guy doesn't own a single championship ring - cue the classic Kobe commercial: "Hey LeBron, have you seen my three championship rings?" (yes, Bryant has five by now) - and critics like to claim he disappears in the clutch. "He just doesn't have that killer instinct," Skip Bayless said today on ESPN First Take.
Fair enough. He's not an assassin, but James still doesn't deserve half the hate he gets. Before we get into the subjective "you're obviously a biased LeBron fan" comments, yes, I will confirm that I owned a James Cavaliers jersey when I was a pudgy 13-year-old. But sincerely, I'm not a huge LeBron James fan and I never have been. I just recognize greatness when I see it, which is obviously why I'm a die-hard Toronto Raptors fan. Don't laugh. The other fan is a cool guy, too.
So "LeBrick," as his doubters call him, boasts all the endorsements, money, and notoriety you could ask for. He won the MVP award in 2009, 2010, and again this year (and many believe he should've gotten it last year). There's something to be said for winning three MVP awards. The only other guys to do it are Magic, Bird, Moses Malone, Wilt, and Kareem. That's some good company.
James' season was one for the record books: 27.1 points per game, 7.9 boards, and 6.2 dimes. The thing is, he puts up these stats year-in and year-out. He might not be Michael Jordan with the game hanging in the balance, but James is consistently the best player in the NBA. In fact, last year's 26.7 PPG were his worst since his rookie season.
I'm not sure he'll reach the top this year, with Chris Bosh out and Dwyane Wade apparently feuding with Erik Spoelstra - not to make Flash look like Latrell Spreewell or anything.
James'll always be in search of one thing: respect.
Can we get over 'The Decision' by now?
Yeah, he abandoned his hometown. You'd leave, too, if your team was that bad and you were that good. He left Cleveland for Miami. Doesn't that sentence alone justify his decision?
I remember trudging through Cleveland during the MAC Tournament this past spring, looking at the scenery, and thinking: "No wonder LeBron left." Everyone says Buffalo is a depressing city, but you don't know depressing until you've been to Cleveland.
LeBron wanted to party in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach till the break of dawn. Where's his fault in that? It's a big city with bright lights, and he gave himself the opportunity to play with two of the world's best players instead of Anderson Varejao. Many of you think that you would have stayed in Cleveland, but be real with yourself: we all would have made the same decision.
It's way too easy to root against him
I was really temped to join forces with everyone else in last year's Finals and root against the Heat, but I decided I was willing to overcome the temptation in order to see James win the championship he deserved. So yeah, that didn't happen.
Seemingly everyone was happy that the Mavericks won, and, if we're being real, I'm thoroughly pleased that some Mavs players, like Dirk and Jason Kidd, finally got rings. Mark Cuban...eh, not so much. Sorry, but The Benefactor may have actually been the worst television show of all-time.
I couldn't help but be happy for Dallas when I listened to Rick Carlisle's postgame speech about how Dallas wasn't the biggest or fastest, but they played unselfish team basketball. So I can excuse rooting against James in that series, but why do people everywhere still smile whenever he fails? And, seriously, how many people outside of Indiana are huge Pacers fans?
?Nobody wants to cheer for James because he joined two all-everything players. Call it a scam, call it unfair, or call it selfish. I call it genius. His ultimate goal is to win a championship - you know, that thing you all claim he has to do otherwise he's terrible. Clearly joining Wade and Bosh made his goal substantially more feasible. Don't you see his logic?
Jordan needed help
You know what I'm tired of hearing? "Michael Jordan didn't need two superstars to win a championship." Believe me, I love MJ. I lived in Chicago during the Bulls' heyday in the '90s. I watched Jordan soar through the air with the greatest of ease, and he even lived two streets over from me. Plus he's just so charismatic in those Hanes commercials.
I was a huge Bulls fan, but nowadays I'm more of a basketball fan. As a basketball fan, I recognize that the Miami Heat have played quality ball this season. MJ played with Scottie Pippen. Pippen himself is a Hall of Famer and he was - in my opinion - a better player than D-Wade or Bosh. Dennis Rodman isn't given much respect because his offensive game was laughable and his personal life was, well...not a whole lot better. But guess what? Rodman was probably the best rebounder of all-time and he's in the Hall, too.
Jordan played with two Hall of Fame players. He also had solid role players on his squad like Toni Kukoc, Horace Grant, and Luc Longley. LeBron has two superstars and a bunch of role players around him, too. Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Mario Chalmers are no better than Jordan's role players were.
On James' persona:
Every time I see an interview with James, I'm left wondering why people love to hate him. He seems like such a nice guy. Here's what he had to say after winning the MVP this year, according to Sports Illustrated:
"Heat nation, we have a bigger goal," James said. "This is very overwhelming to me as an individual award. But this is not the award I want, ultimately. I want that championship. That's all that matters to me..."
"This is a team game and I wouldn't be receiving what I've received in the past and now in the present without my teammates and without my family and friends who've helped me to this point. Even though it's an individual award, I always go back to my teammates. I always go back to my friends and my family. No one can do it alone."
Really? This guy is someone you hate? Come on. He locked himself in his room for days after they lost in the Finals last year. He's had unbelievable pressure on his shoulders since he was a pre-teen.
Remember what he said after the 2011 Championship? "Everything that has to do with a low in your life describes what I'm feeling right now."
Like Jordan, other superstars needed help, too
James made a perfectly fine decision in joining two reputable players in Miami. Still not convinced? Let's go further into NBA history and look at some of the all-time greats that needed a little help...
Wilt Chamberlain - played with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor
Magic Johnson - played with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy
Larry Bird - played with Tiny Archibald and Kevin McHale
Whether you like it or not, LeBron is the present and the future of basketball
Nowadays what kind of basketball fan admits to disliking Michael Jordan? A delusional one whose opinion is given no merit. Jordan was the great one; he was the best basketball player alive during his era. No disrespect to the Durantula, an incredible player I love watching, but when all is said and done, LeBron will be crowned the best basketball player of our era - guaranteed.
LeBron lost last year and his depleted squad might go down in flames (no pun intended) again this year, but he deserves respect. The guy is the beacon of the basketball world. Don't try to bring him down unless you want to bring basketball down.
Every superstar needs a sidekick. Many legends need two great players alongside to win a championship.
Here's a firm belief of mine: The Enigma will win several championships when all is said and done. Might as well cheer for the guy along the way, because he's a genuinely likable person and he is, for my money, the most freakishly athletic, talented player all-time.
Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com
