I knew it was going to happen it was just a matter of time. It always happens to the "ultra" good. It happened to Jordan, it happened to Wilt, it happened to Barkley, it happened to Stockton and Malone, it happened to Kobe (different reason) and etc.
When are spectacular good you start to be defined not by "stats", but by "Championships" and Lebron James is about to find out about this the hard way.
Since Lebron was 14-15 years old he has been the "Chosen One". He was the heir to the throne of basketball. He has been told he is and will be the best. Lebron doesn't hear the word "NO" a lot if any.
He has exceeded expectations to the point that when the NBA Playoffs started the majority of people considered him the best basketball player in the world.
He had the MVP Award, best team in the league, sweep the first two rounds of the playoffs, his puppet was much cooler than Kobe's and his team was the favorite to win the NBA Finals and cement his legacy as the best player in the game.
We know what happened Orlando knocked Cleveland out (despite an impressive one man show by Lebron), he didn't show good sportsmanship at the end of the series, Kobe's puppet got way more popular and Lil Dez was dropping ether on him.
So now the whispers are coming:
"Lebron has too big of an ego"
"Lebron is good when he receives all the credit, but ran when he should have taken the blame"
"Maybe it wasn't his teammate's maybe it was him"
"Lebron is not a serial killer"
"Lebron's game is all muscle and no finesse"
"Is Lebron more concerned about being a billionaire or being a champion?"
The whispers will only get louder the more years passed without a title and the pressure will only become greater. I am on record saying that if/when Lebron gets his 1st title he will run off four or five in a row. Sometimes you just need to taste the blood to become Hannibal Lector.
Do I think the criticisms are fair? Yes and No. Lebron doesn't have anyone in his camp to tell him when he is wrong. No one in Cleveland will do that for fear it will make him leave town as a free agent.
I don't care how good you are you need someone you can trust to tell you the truth about youself on and off the court.
On the flipside this can only go one of two ways.
Players like Jordan and Kobe figured out a way to win a Championship (maybe the Cavs should hire Phil Jackson) when people questioned them. Others like Barkley and Ewing never did.
For Lebron he will never be #1 until he has a ring on his finger. So the only "stats" he should check are the ones that say how many NBA Finals you have won.
I agree...I love bron but his stats mean nothing bcuz he doesn't have a ring...but playing w/ the ppl he plays w/ and the coach he has and the city he plays in, he needs that ego just to get him thru
I agree...I love bron but his stats mean nothing bcuz he doesn't have a ring...but playing w/ the ppl he plays w/ and the coach he has and the city he plays in, he needs that ego just to get him thru
Tell me how my ass taste
Pretty nice post. I just came by your blog and wanted to say
that I've really enjoyed reading your blog posts. In any case
I'll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you write again soon!
This season so many people tried to run game on basketball fans saying that LBJ surpassed Kobe as a player. So many people tried to label LBJ as a contemporary of Kobe. That is so far from the truth. Yes, LeBron put up great rebounding and assist totals for being a small forward. His drives to the basket are amazing to watch. That being said, there is absolutely zero reason to think that he is a better player than Kobe. It goes beyond stats. It goes to how mentally tough you are. It goes to how hard of a worker you are. LBJ will be entering his 7th season in the league this fall, and he has yet to formulate a diverse offensive game. He doesn't have much of a post game. His jumper, while improved, is still a work in progress. Kobe, on the other hand, has added to his arsenal of offense. He has a solid midrange to long range jump shot. He can still explode to the basket from time to time when necessary. He is mentally tougher than LBJ every day of the week. Also, when do you hear all this peripheral stuff come out of Kobe's mouth or camp like you do LBJ's (global icon, billionaire-type stuff). Kobe is a student of the game like LeBron has yet to become. LBJ is referred to as the King. No, Kobe is the king. He is the best player since Jordan. Give the man his respect.
There are two types of people that think Lebron is the best in the NBA and the succesor to Jordan:
1. kids
2. Adults who dont really pay attention to basketball outside of the mainstream journalism bias.
kids like lebron because he is the best player on the video games and he is the most heavily marketed athelete in sports next to perhaps LT, Kobe, and A-Rod. But thats ok, their just kids.
Adults like Lebron. And there is nothing wrong with that because I like him too. But too many people are so convinced that Lebron is the Chosen One because the mainstream biased media wants so badly to coronate him out of their distaste for Kobe. Kind of like how you can tell if a person actually knows their football when you ask them about Terrell Owens. They either give you a critically thought out opinion based upon facts or they regurgitate what the media has been shoving down our throats for 8 years; TO is selfish, distraction, toxic...blah blah blah.
But people who actually pay attention to sports like myself and Rob know that there is reality and then there is media-reality. In reality Lebron is physically a beast and he will only get better over time. BUT he aint there yet and he will always have to contend with the likes of Kobe and D-Wade. Media-reality was making everyone, including Lebron, feel like Lebron is already the King to the point that Lebron grew a sense of entitlement; hence the hissy-fit he threw when the Magic sent him home. Well hopefully Lebron got his reality check on that night in Orlando; but only time will tell.
what is up with the check my stats shirt..kids today lack humility..this shirt has me rooting 4 orlando next year
uCUXmi
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
8odtWp I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
your articel is writen very good, i like lot's of them facts and opinions you put in there,
also, shout out to Shon for his response...
in my eyes, the biggest fact is that:
lebron is a beast, if he wins a title (or more) he will be looked at as one of the greatest, but he is not there YET !!we gon see what is up next
(i also think he can be thought of one og the greatest even if he never gets a championship but always was close, like chamberlain)
we'll see...
and here comes my argument:
it's just exciting and i thank lebron, dwade and dwight for beeing there, making it hard on kobe to proof he's the best,
and no matter who YOU personally think is the best, you should thank all of them (including TEAMS like the defensive spurs) for making your favourite this good, always remeber, basketball players only grow when tested and challenged!!
So thanks to all these hard-workin players for making the other players better by workin hard!
your articel is writen very good, i like lot's of them facts and opinions you put in there,
also, shout out to Shon for his response...
in my eyes, the biggest fact is that:
lebron is a beast, if he wins a title (or more) he will be looked at as one of the greatest, but he is not there YET !!we gon see what is up next
(i also think he can be thought of one og the greatest even if he never gets a championship but always was close, like chamberlain)
we'll see...
and here comes my argument:
it's just exciting and i thank lebron, dwade and dwight for beeing there, making it hard on kobe to proof he's the best,
and no matter who YOU personally think is the best, you should thank all of them (including TEAMS like the defensive spurs) for making your favourite this good, always remeber, basketball players only grow when tested and challenged!!
So thanks to all these hard-workin players for making the other players better by workin hard!