If LeBron James doesn’t win an NBA championship in 2011, he’ll probably be excused.
A new team. A lack of chemistry. A bad coach. Injuries. So on and so forth the choir will sing.
But it seems those on board the King James express have been excusing the Heat star for years now.
For all his talent, power and athleticism, LeBron James has, to date, underachieved. If greatness is a commodity measured purely in championship rings, James has little material by which to measure his success.
To many James remains an enigma. In interviews he romanticises about NBA championships and basketball nirvana. With shorter memories, Cleveland fans and critics alike make reference to the forlorn figure that was cast over the Cavaliers second-round playoff exit. For long stretches, James looked simply uninterested. Uninterested in riding the hopes of a city, long suffering in the absence of professional sports titles.
If postseason success continues to evade LeBron, expectation will grow heavier on those 6'8", 250 pound shoulders. Without “Larry”, James and his Miami Heat counterparts could fast become the 2004 Yankees of the basketball world. Whereas Derek Jeter has enough rings to put aside the Red Sox World Series choke, only Dwayne Wade has achieved the ultimate team success. While it may seem excessive to place so much responsibility on the performance of one man alone, James is, among most esteemed judges, the greatest basketball player on the planet.
For all the hype, what did we learn from the regular season? Perhaps that a team will only be as good as the weakest player it puts on the floor. James can’t hit Mike Miller’s jumpers, nor can he keep Udonis Haslem healthy, but this is now his team and he needs to find a way to make sure it fires when it counts.
There’s no doubt LeBron is a selfless player. He spends most of the first period getting others onto the scoresheet and won’t demand the handle until further down the stretch. It’s during these late periods, however, that James needs to learn to trust the guys that have been purposely placed around him. A James or Wade isolation will always attract a double team. Jones, House, Miller—they’ll always get an open look. But opponents will live with any clutch buckets that trio make. They won’t, however, let James or Wade get to the cup off a simple pick and roll. At least not without two or three guys up in the air challenging the shot. James is only human, and a great pass will always be better than a bad look.
Alarmingly, there is a lack of effervescence about this current Miami team. Apart from a five minute dunk contest the last time the Thunder were in town, the team has appeared reserved, tired and weighed down by expectation. Forget about The Heatles. A little less Lennon, and a little more Jagger please. Give the folks at South Beach a reason to turn up before the tip.
James is both measured and well-spoken in front of the camera. Nothing is more satisfying for Team LeBron or those at Heat headquarters. But fans, they need more. They need passion. And they’ve seen passion. They’ve seen Wade get sent sprawling to the floor by 600 pounds of front court defense. And they’ve seen him return the following night to do it all again. If James truly wants a dynasty of his own, he needs to ignite this city in the postseason.
While Cavaliers fans are left to nostalgically ponder the postseason, James has the chance to create his own TNT moments at South Beach. Will King James rock his new castle with a “no regard for human life” moment of its own?
More than anything, LeBron James is a victim of his own high standards. No man on the planet is more harshly judged or microscopically critiqued on every performance. Fans know that very few players have the ability to change the face of the game forever. James is one of the few.
It’s approaching 13 years since Michael Jordan rose above Byron Russell in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Excluding the 2010 Lakers-Celtics showdown, memorable finals series have been few and far between. A potential lockout imminent, basketball needs nothing more than a LeBron James highlight reel this postseason. In fact, James himself needs nothing more than a postseason highlight reel of his own.
LeBron James needs an NBA championship.
And we all want to be witnesses.
Danneel Harris Veronika Vaeková Eve Brittany Lee Daisy Fuentes
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