As a fan of the NBA and an admirer of the past legends of the game, I think it's time we all stop and reflect on the greatness taking place right before our very eyes in the form of LeBron Raymone James. Whether you're a Cleveland Cavaliers fan (who had your heart ripped out after hearing the greatest player to ever wear your team's jersey say "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach") or a Chicago Bulls fan (like myself) who has suffered many a devastating defeat to the man they call "The Chosen One", it's due time we put our disdain aside and appreciate what is happening night in and night out in NBA arenas. Let's go back to his High School days in Akron at St.Vincent-St.Mary High School where he was a 2 time Gatorade National Basketball Player of the Year. Not even the likes of Kevin Garnett, Felipe Lopez and Kobe Bryant, before him, were ordained as Pro-basketball's "Chosen One"and next BIG thing, despite having sensational High School Basketball Careers. Let's go back further to his humble upbringing as a child not knowing his father in a single parent home birthed by a Mother who was merely a child herself when she had him. The struggles of LeBron's Mom Gloria have been chronicled but this is not about her bumps along the road of life it's about her son's ability to live up to and fulfill (and in some cases exceed) the lofty expectations bestowed upon him as early as 17 years old. That LeBron himself wasn't led down a path of shortcuts and wrongdoing is a tribute to the mature young man he had to be to stay on the path of greatness. How many times have we "witnessed" others before him crumble and falter under the pressure of being the next BIG THING ? As a fan of a team (the Bulls) that has engaged in "heated" (pun intended) battles (in the regular and postseason) with this very being, I've had to press pause on my animosity and fully appreciate what this guy has done (and is doing) in a sparkling NBA career. I must admit that I felt James would be "taking his talents to the Windy City" and still have daydreams of the Bulls working on the franchise's third repeat only to be splashed in the face with the reality that he is someone my Bulls must go through to win Championship #7. I felt your pain Cleveland but there is no better time to get over it then now.
It's really easy to mock LeBron for his shortcomings in the Playoffs, as a Cavalier, and him coming up short on delivering a title to the very city that idolized him for 7 seasons. I mean he was responsible for turning a (17-65) team (the year before he arrived) into an NBA Championship Finalist in just 4 seasons. To think about how much of a joke the Cavs were Pre-LeBron only makes this very feat more impressive. Imagine the pressure of being called "King James" before you even step foot on the floor of a NBA arena as a player for the "home town" Cavs (though he's from Akron, you get my point). James did NOT disappoint in his NBA debut on the road against the Kings pouring in 25 points (which was an NBA record for points scored in a debut by a player coming straight out of High School). The rest has been an absolute "blur" of "the Youngest player in NBA history ever to" en route to 6 NBA All-First teams, 9 All Star Games (twice MVP), 4 NBA 1st Team All-Defense and 4 NBA Most Valuable Player Awards (in the last 5 seasons). James has never ducked the expectations or the attention. He, in fact, is quite the Showman and lives for it. You can see it even in road contests where fans of the opposing teams pack arenas to see him put on an absolute show. You can see him playing to the road crowd after making an unbelievable pass or extra difficult shot. The game, over the years, has had it's share of "showmen" but he is truly something we've NEVER seen which leads me to this ...
We as fans of the NBA, overall, have to start appreciating our superstars for who they are instead of persecuting them for who they are not. Case and point, the Jordan comparisons (and even Kobe comparisons) should absolutely STOP. Do it yesterday. LeBron is neither of these great Champions. he is simply carving a niche to be his OWN kind of champion (and great player). We get so caught up in trying to match today's greats to yesterday's legends that we really do ourselves, as fan's of the game, a disservice. NEVER have we "witnessed" an individual in a 6'9", 270 pound frame move with the agility, cat like quickness and explosiveness of LeBron James ... EVER. Even after dealing with the initial "fallout" of "The Decision", figuring out his role within the "BIG 3", being labeled a "villain" and coming up small in another NBA Finals that year against the Mavericks, he took it ALL in and came back the next year with even MORE focus. His Championship run last year was epic as he was finally able to capture a world Championship that had eluded him in 2 previous attempts. In his 3 seasons as a member of the Heat, LeBron's field goal percentage went from 51% to 53.1% to an eye-popping 56.5% this year. His 3 point shooting percentage also saw climbs going from 33% to 36% to a very respectable 40.6%. There has never been a question about LeBron's work ethic and having career averages of 27 points 7 rebounds and 7 assists a game puts him in some pretty ELITE company right now. His 4 NBA MVPs in a 5 year span puts him in a class of 2 with "Ring King" Bill Russell and puts him one behind Michael Jordan and 2 behind All-Time Leading Scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It's safe to say at just 28 years of age (turns 29 in December), moving into his basketball prime and with his game improving year after year, the BEST is still yet to come. Let's do ourselves a BIG favor and start enjoying what we're seeing. We truly may NEVER see something like this again and that may just be by design ...
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