I might as well write an obituary like every other person, who has weighed in on Lebron James, but at 25 years old I’m not ready to pronounce him dead. Nor am I ready to question his ability or desire to play basketball.
On May 3rd I wrote a 2nd round preview and this is what I had to say about Lebron and the Cavs:
“…it seems with all the hype over Lebron (much of it deserved) and a supposedly better supporting cast the aging Celtics have out played the favored Cavs thus far. There is no question the Cavs were the favorites coming into the playoffs, but I’m starting to wonder if Lebron has that killer instinct needed to win a championship. There is no question he is the most physically gifted player to ever put on a pair of sneakers, but I don’t know if he has the intangibles of a Jordan to carry a team on his back to a title. Whatever the case is he certainly needs his supporting cast to give him some assistance to win a championship and if last night is any indicator for the rest of the series Mo Williams may as well just pack his bags and go home because he would certainly be more useful there than on the court.”
This was written before the now famous game 5 and the ensuing defcon 4 treatment of James in the media. Between now and then I can still say I’m sure of two things: Lebron James is the best player in the NBA and that he needs a solid 2nd fiddle next to him to win a championship. I’m not going to give any excuses for Lebron’s play during the series. I’m sure his elbow injury did affect his performance (jump shot), but he still was more than capable on the court. I could write about or list the litany of other factors(excuses to some) involved to defend Lebron as to why he didn't come through against the Celtics, which some are accurate (bad coaching, choking supporting cast, the insane amount of pressure being put on him by an entire team, city, etc.), some are a stretch (would rather build the LBJ brand than win a title or his body language shows he doesn’t care about winning) or absurd (tanked the playoffs to get out of Cleveland), but I’m not going to do that because it has been or will be written ad nauseum by other professional and not so professional writers, who can write a lot better than me. So, the one thing I will touch on is that: Is it possible for a 25 year old entering his prime to already have his legacy and career become a forgone conclusion because of seemingly one game (series)?
Lebron James is not Michael Jordan. He never will be nor does he want to be if you have read any of his interviews. It’s cliché to say but there never will be another Michael Jordan and we’ll never see another Lebron James. In fact to compare Lebron to MJ is a mistake. Besides being represented by Nike and wearing the number 23they have very little in common. If anything Lebron’s game should be compared to that of Magic Johnson if such comparisons should even be made (guilty). People are so protective of MJ around here (Chicago) that I think they instantly become defensive when you have to read articles about Lebron or Kobe being better than Michael. To me it’s all just fodder written to draw readers, outrage among fans or commentary from the masses (this blog piece!). So, after I draw that same kind of ire for mentioning Lebron James and Michael Jordan in the same sentence I just want to assure people of a few things before the end of this post.
Contrary to popular belief if Lebron James ever wins a title they will not remove MJ’s banners or statue from the United Center, or erase him from the record books, which is to say Michael Jordan’s legacy is not going anywhere. Whereas Lebron James’ legacy has ultimately yet to be written. I don't know about you, but I think he deserves that chance before we pronounce his career dead.
Goodnight Cleveland (Thanks, Tanton for the suggestion)
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