All posts tagged LeBron James

The story of LeBron is unprecedented, and so is tonight’s game when the Miami Heat head to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers.  And what at one point would have seemingly been a foregone conclusion regarding the winner, we now have a game.

Since LeBron’s arrival at Miami, they’re not any better (at least not yet). They’ve shown flashes of greatness, but they lose to good teams. It’s obvious they haven’t yet figured out how to play together and it remains in question whether or not they will. I guess the difference is, LeBron left a system designed around LeBron, now he’s expected to fit into an offense that’s not built around him.  And let’s face it, when it was designed around him, he took a mediocre team to the NBA Finals.

When you take a guy like LeBron (and there’s only ever been one of him), you kind of have to make everyone else make the adjustments. He’s not going to “fit in” to a system. The system needs to be built to suit him, because that’s the way you will likely win a championship. Unless…

LeBron lacks the ice in his veins to pull it off.

Ironically, the pressure on him to win a championship is now greater than it ever was in Cleveland.  Now every NBA fan scrutinizes Miami as they hobble along with a 50-50 record.  And is that fair? Maybe it is if you hail yourself as “The King” and hold a press conference announcing your plan to bestow your “talent on the people of Miami.”

We received an e-mail from a psychiatrist asking us if we’d like any professional psychological insight on LeBron’s mindset as he returns to Cleveland. I don’t think we have time to do a Q&A with the good doctor, but maybe she’ll swing by for a discussion, as I do have a couple of questions:

Do you think LeBron had dreams last night about floating over a pool of angry, flaming alligators and then all of the sudden, Cameron Diaz appears out of nowhere wearing only an apron and she’s riding… some kind of a pegasus/unigoat and swinging a cat around by its tail? And then, the alligators turn into some kind of boiling goo and LeBron finds himself hanging over it from a high-wire or something, and this little green monkey keeps biting LeBron’s knuckles and despite his pleas, the damn thing won’t stop humming Copa Cabana?  And Connie Chung is where the sun should be? And I’m naked? I mean… him?  If he had that dream last night, what do you think that means?

When LeBron pees, it burns a little. What should he be thinking?

When LeBron was a child, he saw his parents having sex and it torments him to this day. Is there any way he can undo that memory?

LeBron hates circus music. He used to cry every time he heard it. While he doesn’t still cry, it continues to be very unsettling. Why?

We’ll start there and see where the discussion leads. I’d appreciate any insight you could offer. I’m sure our readers are very interested to know what’s going on in m… LeBron’s head.

I’m not a psychologist, but if I had to theorize, I’d say LeBron is scared shitless.  I’m not sure a town has ever hated an athlete so much. Actually, I am sure no town has ever hated an athlete so much. And I get it. I do. However, people of Cleveland, CALM THE FUCK DOWN. The guy dribbles a ball for a living, and any willingness to incite fan violence based on the result of any sport is STUPID. Let’s not forget, your adulation and ass-kissing made him such a douche container.

Yes, he handled his departure poorly.  I don’t agree with how he left, but he did it. I think it was a bad decision for him personally. I think he’s arrogant, self-important and has taken full advantage of his kingly status, all the way to his holding an NBA State of the Union Address on ESPN. I think it says a lot about the type of person he is, and frankly, it’s not worthy of a champion.

Here’s how I now look at this: Yes, LeBron is probably the most talented player in NBA history. However, talent is only one part of the equation.  There are many things that make a champion and talent is only one of them. Every other quality true champions exhibit, LeBron doesn’t seem to have.  Does that mean he doesn’t? No. It just means he hasn’t yet displayed these qualitites.  If anything, he acts like a big baby.

So, Cleveland, as much as you hate LeBron for leaving you, try to accept that it just might be the best possible thing that ever could have happened to your team.  You might have never won a championship with LeBron at the helm, but instead continued to fall short for years like the Pacers and the Jazz (among others).  I’m just saying that because he got you close does not mean he was going to get you all of the way. There’s a huge difference between being close and being there.

So, hurl your nastiness, rattle him with your words (because they do rattle him), and have a good time at his expense. He can expect nothing less.  Just remember that, in the end, this is a game. Remember that the whole reason you’re there is because you love to watch the game being played, and in this case, a game that might be fantastic. Epic, perhaps. And isn’t that what we really want to see?  (That and Cleveland winning, I mean?)

If Cleveland defeats Miami tonight, it will be one of the greater moments in Cleveland sports history, and without a doubt, the biggest regular season game in their history. The stage is set for NBA greatness tonight, and it’s all because LeBron left.  And now that you know what kind of guy he seems to be, aren’t you kind of glad that he’s gone? I would be.

Good luck, Cavs. I will be watching and rooting for you tonight, but most of all, I’ll be rooting for a great basketball game.

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