Lebron will almost always be either taller and stronger than his matchup or faster and more athletic. Its been true since his high school years and has continued in his professional run. Like any player he can work to improve his game in different areas, but what his career in general and these Finals in particular have been about are his legacy and his mind. Like most things in life you get what you put in for better or worse. It was Lebron who stated his desire to be a global icon/the first athlete billionaire. Perhaps Lebron has stated his desire to be the G.O.A.T. of basketball but I've never heard it.
I'll use the dictionary.com definition for icon - someone who is the object of great attention and devotion. At the moment Lebron and his team of marketing experts have the attention thing down. Lebron holds more sway than any athlete in the USA. He is among the top athletes when it comes to twitter followers, endorsements, and commercials. Lebron has sold us shoes, insurance, fast food, but most of all himself or the idea of himself as King. The King is the King. He has something already. He is already on top. Lebron has never ended an NBA season on top. Is it a coincidence that Lebron calls himself 'King' a position that is born, passed down, inherited, and not achieved? You don't inherit G.O.A.T you earn it.
The devotion part is a bit trickier as it is not as simple as being on TV all the time. It borders on the religious. Lebron is failing at this. The same decisions (sorry couldn't resist) that have kept him in the spotlight have also dropped his approval rating. More and more haters come out with every commercial, interview, and postgame excuse. For many people the means are as important as the end. That he may have ended the season with a title was not as important to many people as the fact that he left Cleveland and how he did it. He was on the losing side yes but for some the way he lost was most disappointing others were overjoyed by this just check blogabull. He averaged almost nine fewer points in the Finals than he did in the regular season. He disappeared in the 4th quarter with every game the Heat lost hanging in the balance. Not the kind of stuff that inspires devotion.
LBJ cares. He cares what you think. He cannot have a goal like becoming a global icon without caring what you think. He cannot have the kind of reaction after the Finals if he didn't care. LBJ was on the defensive after Game 6 commenting on the fact that the people that hate him do not have as much money as he does. Stating that those people are probably filled with personal problems and all have jobs they hate. As if making millions of dollars makes all your problems go away. Passing on other tough questions about his performance. Talking about holding his head high and through it all doing his best to deny any personal failure. Interesting how back in 2007 after being swept by the Spurs in the Finals, LBJ actually took all the blame for the loss. Talked about wanting and needing to get better. How his improvement would make the team better. He really made it a point to focus on his own shortcomings. He said all the right things and we felt better that the future of the NBA was in the hands of young player with that kind of mindset. Maybe it was easy for Lebron to say that back in 2007. The Cavaliers making it to the Finals was a surprise for many. He had no pressure and while it's never easy losing for some losing when you were expected to isn't as hard of a thing. I'm sure those calling Lebron a choke or a hack back in '07 were few. Four years later and still no NBA title. The place and time have changed and so has LBJ, but you wonder if for the better.
As a Bulls fan I hope he really believes he is the King. I hope he believes that god decided that it was not his time. That "sometimes you've got it, sometimes you don't." I hope he sleeps better at night knowing that he has his millions and does things his way, but most of all I hope DRose is in a gym right now believing in a different way.
Maybe lbj is smarter than we thought. Being a good guy is great, but if pro wrestling has taught us anything, often times the heel gets the most attention. If you are a man more concerned with advancing your "brand" maybe being the villain isnt such a bad idea. Like the bad boys pistons who completely embraced their cheapshot personas.
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps lbj is a case of a man who since an early age has had everything handed to him on a silver platter, who came from a world where the next richest man owned a used bmw, but lbj drove a brand new hummer. Coming from a poor world where he was regarded as a god, walking on air et al.
What should i do?
That commercial seems like an actual conversation within the mind of lebron. At the presser after the game, it seemed like this was in his mind the whole time.
Miami fans like to deem this season a success, and indeed for the TEAM it was, but not for lebron james. The man couldve gone to finals with his cavaliers team, the man couldve lost in the finals with a cavaliers team that everyone would suggest had nothing...and he would still continue to look like a hero. There would be haters, there always are, but not as a global unity as they exist today. There would be far too many people who would suggest he didnt choke, he just got tired of holding his team up...
But alas, those excuses cant exist anymore. What can a lebron james fan actually say, what excuse can he take solice in. Lebron james had help, big glopping heaps of it. He still choked, still underperformed, still faltered...still failed. Why?
The Jordan comparisons are dead, the astriks on his failures have been removed, it was never about help...he just wasnt strong enough.
The next jordan? hell no. The next scottie? Maybe on a good day. How about a rich mans vince carter?
2011 has been wierd, and its ironic, that the only superstar who didnt leave his team, who didnt consider leaving, who didnt search for other star power to save him is the one who ended up winning the ultimate goal.
He will never be jordan. I made up my mind on that when i watched the finals. He has all the gifts physically but his mental deficiencies cannot be overlooked. Jordan would have taken the last 25 shots if that was what was needed to win any of those finals games. Lebron kept passing the ball and just looked like he was too scared to take over.
ReplyDeletethe reason he went to miami is cause his personality is not that of a leader. He needs someone else to be the man and that happens to be dwayne wade. I think they may win a few championships but he cannot be mentioned in the same name as jordan or even..kobe.
i sent this as a text, but my brother and i were watching the 2003 draft and one of hte expert analysis said about lebron james...and i quote:
ReplyDelete"I think the only way he fails is if he fails to meet OUR expectations. I would just say this to the fans and the media...Lets not create lebrons legacy, lets let him create one for himself"
I love that quote cuz its exactly what happened. Lebron failed, not because he isnt a great basketball player but because he couldnt be THAT basketball player, he couldnt be a Jordan-esque player, he couldnt be a better than jordan like player. He instead is more of a wilt chamberlain like player. A guy people will look at 50 years from now and say oh yea he was the most athletic of his time, but now we have several players with that athleticism.
The other part of the quote is also true, Lets not create his legacy.....to many people called lebron the next great player, the next jordan, the best basketball player in the entire nba. We were so quick to give him a title, a label, ready to buy into his brand.
"Lets let him create one for himself" and so he has, he discarded all of our expectations, hopes, and dreams for him as a ball player, instead he has chosen his own route, the decision was not just a decision, it might have very well been the climax to the lebron james story. The turning point.
To your point Nauman:
ReplyDeleteI was listening to Bill Simmons' podcast after the NBA Finals and he had Dan LeBatard on as a guest. LeBatard is a journalist that lives in Miami and sometimes covers as a host on PTI. He probably had as much access to the Heat as anyone throughout the season. When Simmons asked him about Lebron, LeBatard said that though it may sound like pop psychology he really noticed that Lebron took on a little brother role with Wade. If you noticed in press conferences he always looked to Wade before answering a tough question at times even letting Wade answer for him. If you see them walking together it is always Wade in front and Lebron a step behind. Not sure if any of it means anything but I found it interesting.