I have a bad memory.
I can’t remember one of my girlfriend’s name in college (we dated for six months) and I often forget things I was supposed to do minutes after thinking about them— the Lil Princess has to remind me several times I was supposed to make her cookies.
What it odd is that when it comes to sports, my memory is photographic. I think sometimes the sports have taken up so much space in my brain that things like remembering the Twitter follower I was supposed to send an email to.
Let me take you back in time to this Lebron.
Remember him?
The high school prodigy that had ESPN televising his high school games, whose Hummer made national news and getting a few free jerseys had him suspended from his high school squad.
Remember?
He was the guy who many said was going to be a bust; that jump shot wasn’t good enough and was too “Hollywood as Hell”.
Remember?
He was the guy who would be the next JORDAN, the NEXT big thing in NBA and would put Cleveland sports back on the map.
Remember?
People said he was just “hype”— draft Carmelo instead. He had just won a National Championship, and hell, that Darko guy will be better him.
Remember?
The preseason game against the Lakers, when the jump shot wasn’t falling and people were like, “see I told you”?
Remember?
When he dropped 25 against the Kings in his first game and people were like “see I told you”?
Lebron has exceeding expectations. Lebron had a quote before he left Cleveland saying that he had “spoiled” the fans. In classic Lebron fashion, the quote shouldn’t have been said at that time, but truth is that he is exactly correct.
Walk up to someone who doesn’t know much about basketball and read off the following to them.
28 PPg
7 APG
7 REB
2 time MVP, 7 time All Star and 2 NBA Finals Appearances.
Tell them the player is only 26 years old and is just hitting their prime, what would their reaction? It might be something like this.
We are in a society that because of social media, more people have the ability to give their opinions and have more people hear. It spreads like a disease and infects minds like the Matrix.
On the flip side, athletes now have more ways to make their voices heard, but in turn open themselves for the criticisms no matter if it is warranted or not.
But sometimes, you have to remember to separate the fact from the fiction.
For anyone saying that he was “wrong” for leaving Cleveland are thinking with their feelings not with their brain. When you are a “Free Agent”, the most important word in that is “Free”.
If he wanted to play with the Hairline All-Stars, that is his right. You want to be critical of how he went about it that is perfectly reasonable, but he made a choice.
He knew he was sacrificing individual glory for a better chance for the ring.
It was a tough choice, but it was his to make. It will always be brought up the same way Kobe, no matter how hard he tries to push it out of his mind, will always be linked to Shaq.
It doesn’t matter if Lebron wins 1 or 10 NBA Titles as long as Dwyane Wade is on the team, there will be always be a faction that will hold that against him.
But while D Wade is a magnificent player within his own right, don’t be fooled as to who is Tupac and who is Biggie. As great as Wade is, he isn’t Lebron James.
When you are the chosen one, stats don’t matter— all that matters is your legacy. MVPs don’t make legends, they make for nice bio information (see: Steve Nash).
When Michael Jordan came on the scene, I was very young. When Kobe Bryant was drafted, I was still young, I remember but I was a teenager. When Lebron was drafted, I was an adult and I watched him from that first high school game on ESPN to that top off the key Jumper than put the dagger in the Bulls in Game 5.
From the day I first saw him play I said:
“If he ever figures it out, he won’t just win one title, he will run off multiple titles”
When he made it to the NBA Finals in 2007, he had no shot, it was almost like a teaser to blockbuster film.
Right now, starting today is when Lebron can start making his legacy. Everything about Lebron has been leading up to this point. From the Hummer to the Decision, this is what it has been been about. If he fails, he doesn’t just fail his team and himself, he fails his legacy.
There are two type of Kings.
The first type are just kings in name only, they are appointed but deep down they aren’t fit to lead.
Then there are the other type………………..
You want to be King James?
Then go out and take your THRONE.
It’s time Lebron.