As far as me hating goes, there is LeBron James, and then there is everybody else. He might be a nice guy. His teammates seem to love him. His time on Team USA has left the coaching staff absolutely gushing about him. It’s not like my disdain for him is without backing, though. I don’t simply hate him for the sake of hating him. He whines after every call that goes against him1 even when the fouls are obvious and egregious, all the while complaining to the same officials that bail him out repeatedly. He embodies the “too-much-too-soon” era, driving Hummers in high school and being on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a sophomore. All these things instilled a sense of entitlement in James that very few professional athletes are immune to, but James took it to another level. His time in Cleveland was spent highlighted by his torrent runs through the regular seasons, highlight dunks, and the media touting a NBA Finals duel with Kobe Bryant that never came to fruition. His concerns seemed to lie with celebrating dunks with his teammates and becoming famous instead of getting better and winning championships. He was everything I hated in an NBA player.
Outside of the population of Cleveland, no loved LeBron’s 2011 season more than me. It all started when James’ top-seeded Cavs lost to the Celtics in Cleveland to finish their 2010 season with LeBron starting his infamous disappearing act, and commenced with LeBron disappearing again against the Mavericks in the 2011 Finals. LeBron’s super-team failed and LeBron was unable to ride his talented teammates to the only trophy that had eluded him up to that point in his life. I must say, it was a thing of beauty to watch, and no matter where LeBron goes from here, we’ll always have 2011.
With all that being said, LeBron is the best player in basketball, and it’s not even close. I can’t believe I am the same species as LeBron James. He is the most physically gifted athlete of my generation, and again, it’s not even close. I can’t help but hate the guy, but I’m not stupid.
2012 was undoubtedly the “year of LeBron,” and this time it was for all the right reasons. The monster was awakened in the playoffs. His performances in Game 4 against the Pacers and Game 6 against the Celtics were that of folklore. The look on his face in Game 6 was downright terrifying. You can beat LeBron if you keep him out of the paint and can force him to take jump shots2. In Game 6, it didn’t matter. LeBron had absorbed and heard everything from hatred, to “you’ll never win a title,” to “you’re not good enough,” and it all exploded in a momentous crescendo of the greatest performance on a basketball court I have seen in my brief lifetime. He rolled through the Finals and the Olympics winning both, and ended it all with being on the cover of Sports Illustrated again, this time for winning Sportsman of the Year.
So, where does LeBron go from here? The Heat is currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference, LeBron is averaging 25.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.8 apg3. The reason none of this is a big deal is we have been spoiled as NBA fans. The same goes for football fans with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They have been so great for so long that it has become common place for us. I know as a Patriots fan, I have taken Tom Brady for granted over the years. I would sure as hell know the difference if say, Philip Rivers was the quarterback. So, we as basketball fans have taken LeBron for granted. He’s already won his trophies, time to create a new story line: Kevin Durant and the Thunder, Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks, Kobe and tying Jordan with six titles. LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. So much so, that his achievements have become rudimentary: nothing new to see here.
There is a fable I like about a frog and a scorpion. There is a river, and the deadly scorpion cannot cross without drowning. So, he sees a frog hiding nearby. “Let me ride on your back to the other side, frog,” said the scorpion. “Okay,” said the frog, “but if you sting me, I drown and you will drown, and we both will die.” Knowing the scorpion would never sacrifice himself, the frog allows the scorpion on his back and they begin to cross the river. Halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog. “Why?” whispers the frog as the two start to slip below the surface. “I cannot help it, I’m a scorpion,” he says as they both sink under the water. LeBron will never understand the game on a cerebral level as Russell, and he’ll never have the insane, murderous competitiveness of Jordan, but it is foolish of us to try and compare him to them. Stupid to try and fit a square peg in a round hole. LeBron isn’t Jordan, LeBron isn’t Russell, he isn’t Bird and he isn’t Magic: LeBron is LeBron. He plays at an insanely high level physically, he overpowers his opponents, and guards all five positions at an All-Pro level. He is a triple-double embodied, and seems to just be scratching the surface of a multifaceted repertoire of basketball skills. If there is any certainty about LeBron James, it’s that his trophy case isn’t full yet.
I hate LeBron, but even I know he is a once in a lifetime talent. I wasn’t around for Russell. I wasn’t around for Magic and Bird. I was born, but not aware of Jordan. I’ve been around for the start of and I will be around for the rest of LeBron’s career. I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’ll write a column about him either. The worst part is I’m afraid that I’ll keep writing about how good he is, and no one will really pay attention. “Yeah, LeBron is good, we know.” In 2013 and beyond, though, try not to take LeBron for granted. Yes, this year the Knicks are a cute story. Yes, the Thunder have continued to win without Harden. Yes, the Lakers and Celtics are digging holes they might not be able to dig themselves out of. Someday, though, when I’m old and grey, I’m not going to be telling my grandkids about this Knicks team or the Thunder or Dwight Howard on the Lakers. No, I’m going to be telling them about how the NBA was when I was their age: there was Lebron James, and then there was everybody else.
- He hasn’t had much to complain about recently, as I tweeted last night “LeBron has gone six straight games without being called for a foul. #notsurprised”
- Obviously, a hell of a lot easier said than done.
- Oh, by the way, he leads the Heat in all three, just like last year.
