On Lebron James

Lebron James’ polarizing effect has risen to new heights now that the king is in the finals and just a few steps away from his first NBA championship.

These days, instead of framing absolute opinions about the guy, his Decision, and his future as one of the greats, NBA writers and fans are defaulting to a disclaimer. In it’s purest form, it’s the disclaimer Rick Reilly gave right after Gregg Doyel attempted to lambast Lebron for being a “shrinking” superstar.

“I’m the last guy that wants to write a glowing column about LeBron James, but…”

So what? Why are you the “last guy?” Because you were so irrationally opposed to “the decision,” or perhaps the way that James conducted his business in such an arrogant way? Because you realize that groundless contempt for Lebron is foolish?  Because you are two Heat wins away from eating every word you wrote this year?

Maybe not.  I doubt Rick Reilly would admit any of that.  But deep down, I think sportswriters in the mainstream media that have covered the Heat are feeling one thing — regret. Regret because they cannot fully embrace and enjoy the excitement of an excellent team full of fantastic players doing spectacular things.

I am not talking about something as shallow as “being on the winning side.” I’m looking at this in more of a macro way. The Heat, even if they do not win a championship this year, are obviously primed for at least five or six years of big time success as they continue to get better. The scary thing for writers, especially those who threw stones at Lebron during the season, is that this is a damn exciting team to watch, and it’s going to take some major backtracking for some of these writers to safely be able to enjoy any of it.

Tom Haberstroh of the Heat Index had it right when he described Lebron as a man who simply cannot and will not win.

“I’ve come to learn that people will take issue with whatever James does. If he shows an ounce of emotion, he’s a narcissist. If he mutes his celebrations, he’s a phony.”

It was easy for writers to wring their hands (or shake their head) at Lebron when he took his talents to South Beach. It was easy to scoff as the Heat slumped several times midseason. Heck, it was still pretty easy to manufacture a Wade/Lebron drama while they were winning. (Remember all the “who’s the real leader of the team?” talk in the middle of the season?  Better yet, remember that same talk after game 3?)  It was easy for the simple fact that we all knew the Heat couldn’t go all the way. Villains can’t win.

But they were wrong.  Now, the “truth” of what every writer and fan seemed to know about Lebron and the Heat is slipping away, which means all those people, namely the writers, need a smoke screen.

I think this “shrinking superstar” nonsense, or the focus on Lebron’s fourth-quarter numbers, or the “I hate to admit it, but” language that precedes any article that dares compliment Lebron, is sad.  It’s a snarky approach that’s trending in NBA circles right now, and it sounds eerily similar to politicians making promises on a campaign trail. NBA coverage shouldn’t have a “party line.”

I’m also saddened by the hyper-scrutiny that Lebron and company have been getting en route to a possible NBA championship. This should be special, something to be embraced by an entire nation. We have a man who, aside from number of championships won, is rightly compared to the greatest player to ever play the game. He is on a team with a similar player, one who already has a championship of his own.

When those two players are on the floor so far in the playoffs it has been electrifying. Their defense has sparkled, and in the 18 games played so far, they have provided enough jaw-dropping highlights to jam up SportsCenter for a month.

Don’t even try to tell me you don’t feel an ounce of excitement watching Lebron crash on a double team, Wade get a hand in, strip the ball, and then explode up court for a three on two flush. If it doesn’t excite you, you’re not a basketball fan. You are a spiteful imposter posing as a fan.

What if the world forgave Lebron for his antics during the decision, and sympathized with the born winner for leaving a team that had shown it could not win?

What if, instead of looking at his move to Miami as a bailout and codependence on Dwayne Wade, we collectively saw it as one of the coolest moves in NBA history, and one of the smartest moves at that?

What if we got excited when Lebron punched Wade’s chest like a punching bag after a dagger three, and cheer in amazement as the two superstars take turns lighting up segments of games?

My guess is we’d all enjoy these Finals a lot more. And, if we are being honest, we’d all enjoy the next five to seven seasons more too.

Right now, it seems like we’re going to have to do it ourselves. So long as the Miami Heat can win an NBA Finals game and still have Sportscenter do stories the next day questioning Lebron’s fourth quarter.

Mario Chalmers hit a big three in game two (despite the loss). After he hit it, he screamed, “Y’all forgot about me, mother—–!” To me, that showed precisely how exciting these finals could be.  Mario was right. We did forget about him! It’s what makes it so exciting when he buries the trey, giving the Heat life late in the game.

What’s so sad is that the mainstream NBA media has decided to tell the Lebron story one way.  He’s the villain, the Heat are the unfortunate super-team, and every time Lebron scores under 20 points, he’s the story. It’s silly.

My advice: stop hating now!  It’s not too late. Get on board with Lebron and company. You are not going to want to explain to your grandkids that you were salty towards the best player since Michael Jordan. And trust me, people will ask you if you remember seeing the great Lebron James.