The King and I: Lebron James

"The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.  Just see"  

Dan Gilbert

I'd felt it from the start, the feeling that something wasn't right, I felt as if I had to defend what I deemed as the best player of the Miami Heat triad that was drafted in 2003.  The media wanted me to believe one thing but my heart, my basketball IQ forced me to believe something different.  Eight long years and 1 championship later I still feel exactly the same way.......Dwyane Wade is a better player than "King" James!  That's not to say that The "King" is a bad player, I would never say that but to date The "King" has lacked something that Wade has, Kobe has and MJ had and it was evident again in last season's NBA finals when it reared its ugly head and prevented the Miami Heat from winning their second championship.  I'll admit that during Lebron's career I've had a love/hate relationship with him and since he's joined the Miami Heat I've remained silent on all things Lebron James; that is until today.

During the 2008 NBA season, I heard rumblings that the Miami Heat were going to begin to develop young players, not acquire any bad contracts and prepare for the summer of 2010 when they could make a huge
splash in free agency, the Heat had a plan and relayed that plan to their fans.  Coincidentally during the summer of 2008, as the Redeem Team were battling their way towards a Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh discussed the idea of all three playing for the same team.  Doing so in Toronto was unrealistic, Cleveland just couldn't afford it so that left the Heat as the only option, many teams had the cap room to sign two of the three but only the Heat could sign all three.  It was that knowledge that allowed me to tell all that would listen that the Miami Heat would win the NBA Championship during the 2010/11 season.

The Decision!

While watching the All-Star game at Cowboys stadium, a friendly battle between Eastern Conference teammates Dwyane Wade and Lebron James began to form and the two were vying for the games MVP award.  It was an incredible array of artistry as the two played a game of what you can do, I can do better but at the same time fought for the united goal of defeating the Western Conference in the world's most amazing stadium, a cathedral of sorts to celebrate all that's grandiose.  In the end, Dwyane Wade came out victorious adding the games MVP trophy to his NBA Finals MVP and NBA championship ring collection.  On that night I was so proud of Wade because he had just showed the world that yes he was on the same level as James and in the eyes of some even better. 

During the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs a few months after the All-Star game, Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were defeated by the Boston Celtics and that night it was evident that no one was going to see James in a Cavs jersey again.  As he took his jersey off and walked through the tunnel with his head down, it was symbolic, an unconscious declaration of the end.  After years of hearing that the King was going to land in New York, soon the media began to pick up on something that I had know for years, the Miami Heat were going to make Lebron James their number one target in free agency.  Once the announcement was made that The Decision was going to be televised, I knew one of two things would happen, James would have a change of heart and he would announce that he was going to remain with the Cavs or that he was going to join the Miami Heat.

The week prior to The Decision, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade all had meetings with various teams due to the fact that all three were free agents and there was a two day stretch where reports indicated that Dwyane Wade was close to signing with the Chicago Bulls, his hometown team and the biggest threat to derail the Heat's master plan but Miami still had its trump card.....prestige.  Two days before The Decision, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh announced that they were both signing with the Heat.....two down and one to go was the expectation and as The Decision drew closer, the world seemed to stop and then the day arrived.  There I was in the store that I managed with ESPN playing on the TV's all day following every bit of coverage that I could before the 9 pm start of The Decision and as the hours became minutes, I grew more and more nervous because I knew that The Decision could have shaped the Miami Heat for years to come.  Once 9 pm arrived, the doors were locked and I sat on the counter to hear the announcement.  As soon as Lebron James appeared it was evident on his face that he was heart broken about what he was going to say and after 30 minutes of useless conversation between Lebron James and Jim Grey, it happened......

All in a weeks time the Miami Heat had acquired the NBA's best player and the league's greatest weapon but who was who.  The media began to instantly question whether or not if the two alpha's could coexist on the same team.  I promised myself that I wouldn't be blinded by the hype and that I would critique James fairly even though he was now a member of the Miami Heat, I didn't want anyone to feel as if I was defending him just because I'm a Heat fan.  I was caught in the middle of wanting him to do well, but not seem like a bandwagon fan to those who didn't know or understand my Heat pedigree.

There were many times last season when I began to sway, I became amazed by the change in the "King's" game, his attitude, I loved the real Lebron and I thought it was the real Lebron who'd been hiding behind the "King" for years.  I thought the King had been left in Cleveland and I was finally able to appreciate Lebron. My conviction grew stronger as the Heat powered themselves to the playoffs and advanced through the Sixers, Celtics, and Bulls with ease before facing the Mavericks in the NBA Finals.  After the Heat vanquished the Celtics, Lebron knelt to the court and had a moment, a moment of accomplishment, a passing of the torch as the Celtics had always stood in his way.  It should have been his signature moment, like Jordan over Ehlo, Hakeem Olajuwon ripping the soul out of David Robinson with the Dream Shake, and Kobe tossing a perfect ally oop pass to Shaq that spring boarded the Lakers past the Blazers in game 7 of the Western Conference Finals of 2000.  Lebron had his defining moment but he needed to complete the deal by defeating the Mavericks in the NBA Finals.  Ultimately Lebron's loss was the Heat's loss as the Heat fell to the Dallas Mavericks in six games, six games where Lebron James score only six points or less in during the fourth quarters of the final four games.  His failure stung due to the fact that he was brought in to help push the Heat back to the top.

During last season's NBA Finals I was in a state of shock, I knew why we were losing but I still couldn't believe it.  I knew why we were losing but I couldn't face it, this time was supposed to be different, he was supposed to have his defining moment but it wasn't to be.  It was one of the rare times in my life where I actually hated being right.  For the previous seven seasons I'd warned all the Cleveland fans that I knew that "King" James didn't have the heart, the fire to close the deal, to lead his team to an NBA championship and there I was watching The "King" again squander another chance to claim the ultimate prize but this time was different, it was my team that was being hurt, embarrassed.  The pressure was too much for The "King" to overcome and thus his legacy as a choke artist grew. 

Chance at Redemption?

Today the journey begins anew for Lebron James, The "King" was left watching the Mavericks celebrate their championship victory on the Heat's home floor.  I understand that there's no way that Lebron James could win another MVP award anytime soon but he has to play at that caliber, he must raise his game to another level and dominate the regular season in a way that he's never done but it can't end there.  James must "lead" the Miami Heat to an NBA title, Wade is the leader of the team, its heart and soul but it must be James who takes the lead role in the playoffs and beyond.  Then and only then will he have his redemption, his salvation.

Most sports fans are fickle and they will eventually grow to love Lebron James more than they did The "King" but he must deliver a championship to the Miami Heat before that healing process can begin.  This fan was ready to anoint him, but his epic collapse delayed the process.  As a long time Heat fan there are certain players who's let the team down over the years and to this day I refrain from using their names in an attempt to erase them from existence i.e. Jddie Eones.  Lebron James can change his entire career path by simply winning the ultimate prize and he doesn't have to look far to find the blueprint for success.  Dirk Nowitzki was considered to be a choke artist for years, most of his career and it only became magnified when the Dallas Mavericks were defeated in six games by the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA finals after having a 2-0 lead, home court advantage, and a 15 point lead with five minutes to go in game 3.  During the playoffs of the very next season, the number 1 seed Mavericks were punked out of the first round by the number 8 seed Warriors in spectacular fashion again exposing Dirk as a choke artist  Fate allowed Nowitzki to enjoy his path of redemption and now the only thing someone can call him is an NBA champion and he is perhaps the league's most marketable player at this time.

Lebron James can still enjoy the career renaissance that Nowitzki is enjoying at this time but James must leave the "King" where he was defeated, the NBA Finals of 2010.  "King" James is no longer needed in the life of Lebron James.  "King" James was the media marketing machine, the persona that made Lebron a mega star full of style but no substance.  Only Lebron can help Lebron, the Miami Heat can show him how but he has to first follow, then lead and leave the "King" behind.  The basketball Gods will test the will of Lebron James once more and this time he can't fail, no more visits by the "King" no more epic failures.  "King" James as we knew him must die and Lebron James must be born anew.  There are times when you can look into the soul of a man, know his inner thoughts, his fears and his weaknesses, I've seen those things in the "King" for the first 8 years are his career, I've stared them down, passed judgement on him.  I pray for the day to come that I look into the eyes of Lebron and see no fear, but see hunger, desire, heart.  One can question a man's game but you can never question his heart; I just hope that Dan Gilbert doesn't end up being right about the "King's" curse.  I leave you with a quote from perhaps one of the greatest champions to ever live.....Muhammad Ali.

"Champions aren't made in the gyms.  They are made something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision."

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"Basketball Reasons" An NBA Nightmare

         I slept on it in hopes that I would wake up and feel differently; sadly I feel the same amount of disgust that I felt last night upon hearing the news that David Stern, commissioner of the NBA nixed the trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers.  Chris Paul was preparing to fly to Los Angeles last evening and had already made arraignments for Kobe Bryant to pick him up upon his arrival when he heard the news that the league had stepped in a canceled the trade citing "basketball reasons".

During the David Stern era of the NBA, there's been many conspiracy theories regarding player movement and championship victories, but non of them have ever been confirmed despite having mountains of evidence in some cases.  What we saw last night was akin to a young child walking in on his or her parents placing presents under a Christmas tree and then realizing that there is no Santa Clause........shocking!  On paper, the league was correct in the fact that it could veto a trade based on the Hornets being league owned but legally there had to be another reason outside of "basketball reasons." 

What happened last night was a sickening display of an abuse of power, it was a hastily made decision to nix this deal that would have allowed the Hornets to acquire Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin and Luis Scola to have a shot a salvaging their future but if this move by the league causes Chris Paul to stay in New Orleans for the duration of the season, what would stop Chris Paul from just walking away and leaving the Hornets with nothing in return?  Think about that for a second, the "competitive balance" theory that the NBA shoved down our throats as the reason they locked out the players goes out of the door if they just let Paul walk away.  Any informed NBA fan understands that this isn't about "basketball reasons".  This action by David Stern
wasn't though tout and it appears as if he's lost all control.  His hast decision could have allowed the shit to hit the fan and the timing of his decision is curious as well.

Dan Gilbert

Teams were allowed to begin negotiating with free agents on December 5th and since that time the Hornets had been working on a trade for Chris Paul, it was public knowledge but the final rendition of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was fortified until an hour after the announcement of the Paul trade.  Stern could have nixed any trade from the Hornets during the past five days but he knew that if he did, the players would have backed out of the deal.....again very curious timing.  Paul is considering legal action against the NBA and spoke with the Players Association last night about all of the possibilities.  Paul could collusion against the NBA and its owners and shockingly enough, Dan Gilbert could have indirectly supplied him with the necessary ammunition.  In an email obtained by Yahoo sports, Dan Gilbert was adamant that the trade shouldn't be allowed.

Commissioner,

It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed.

This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.

Over the next three seasons this deal would save the Lakers approximately $20 million in salaries and approximately $21 million in luxury taxes. That $21 million goes to non-taxpaying teams and to fund revenue sharing.

I cannot remember ever seeing a trade where a team got by far the best player in the trade and saved over $40 million in the process. And it doesn’t appear that they would give up any draft picks, which might allow to later make a trade for Dwight Howard. (They would also get a large trade exception that would help them improve their team and/or eventually trade for Howard.) When the Lakers got Pau Gasol (at the time considered an extremely lopsided trade) they took on tens of millions in additional salary and luxury tax and they gave up a number of prospects (one in Marc Gasol who may become a max-salary player).

I just don’t see how we can allow this trade to happen.

I know the vast majority of owners feel the same way that I do.

When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?

Please advise….

Dan G.

According to Yahoo Sports, a rival executive with ties to the league office voiced his opinion on the mess that was last night in the NBA.

“We were all told by the league he was a trade-able player, and now they’re saying that Dell doesn’t have the authority to make the trade?” said an NBA executive who had periodic talks with New Orleans throughout the process. “Now they’re saying that Dell is an idiot, that he can’t do his job. [Expletive] this whole thing. David’s drunk on power, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the players, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the hundreds of hours the teams put in to make that deal.

“How do the Lakers explain this to Odom? How does Houston deal with the guys it just tried to trade? Scola and Martin are going to be pissed at them, and who knows how long that takes to get over? Explain to me how the league kills this Pau Gasol deal, but allows Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol?

“To me, this makes the league feel like it’s rigged, that Stern just does whatever Stern wants to do. He’s messed up the competitive balance of this league a lot worse by killing the deal because you’ve completely destroyed the planning that New Orleans and Houston did and left them in shambles over this. I’ve never been so discouraged about this league, never so down.

“I mean, come on: Chris Paul is leaving New Orleans in 66 games. He’s gone. And what’s Dell Demps, and that franchise, going to have to show for it?”

Just as expected, David Stern released a statement addressing the Chris Paul trade debacle:

“Since the NBA purchased the New Orleans Hornets, final responsibility for significant management decisions lies with the Commissioner’s Office in consultation with team chairman Jac Sperling. All decisions are made on the basis of what is in the best interests of the Hornets. In the case of the trade proposal that was made to the Hornets for Chris Paul, we decided, free from the influence of other NBA owners, that the team was better served with Chris in a Hornets uniform than by the outcome of the terms of that trade.”

For those wondering, the Washington Generals are an exhibition basketball team who's known for the losing streak to the Harlem Globetrotters.  Nevertheless, Chris Paul has a case against the NBA based on the email above and just as last night in my post Were you all had I ask this question; If Chris Paul had been traded to a small market team, would the NBA have still nixed the trade?  I understand what this new breed of owners want, I've seen both sides of the situation but the reality is that the NBA will never be able to control player movement.  Please that this into account, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh all took pay cuts of around $20 million to play together and battle for a championship.  The Hornets could pay Chris Paul $40 million more than any other team over the duration of a new contract if he wanted to stay in New Orleans for the long haul.  When players are leaving those amounts of money on the table to have a legit shot to battle for NBA championships they can't be controlled by the league nor can they be called greedy....just let it sink in for a moment while I leave you with wise words from Phil Jackson when the league acquired the Hornets last year.

"Who's going to trade who to whom? Who's going to pull the button on trading player or when Chris [Paul] says he has to be traded? How's that going to go? I don't know. Somebody's going to have to make a very nonjudgmental decision on that part that's not going to irritate anybody else in this league ... I don't know how they're going to do that.  That's what everybody is going to be afraid of: Who is going to be helping who out?"

Hindsight is indeed 20/20.    

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