Here is Part One in case you missed it.
So LeBron James is coming to Cleveland after all.
I had always said that if the Heat had won the entire thing, then he would have stayed to attempt to become the first since the great Bill Russell to win 4 championships in a row. And then the San Antonio Spurs had other plans, as they obliterated the Heat in every single possible way. In the midst of the chaos, LeBron James must have noticed that unless his team improved or he got out of there, the chances of winning another ring was going to disappear. The Spurs overwhelmed them, but let’s not forget the other rising Western Conference teams like the Clippers, Blazers, Rockets, and to an extent the Warriors that could have handled them if they had arrived at the big dance. And with the beatdown being so intense it made us wonder if the Spurs should have been back-to-back champs and was more deserving of last year's title. After all, if Ray Allen had missed that infamous shot LeBron would have been 1-4 in Finals appearances, branding him to Atlanta Braves territory.
But there’s more. LeBron James wants to be considered one of the greatest players ever to play the game. But instead the reputation has made him more like an excellent player that plays like a mercenary; recruited to lead a team to victory---as opposed to being the leader of a team that evolved into a contender. There is a huge difference between being a sure-fire Hall of Famer and being a Legend. Shaquille O’Neal is a Hall of Famer that has 4 rings. But 25 years down the road we won’t really discuss him on a weekly basis when basketball is happening.
Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan? Played for the same team all their careers, were incredible leaders and teachers, and elevated their teams and the sport to a whole new level. LeBron James? For as long as he remained with the Heat with three other sure-fire Hall of Famers (established BEFORE the uniting, as opposed to during the reign) LeBron was going to stay in Shaq status to the more hardcore NBA crowd—especially those spoiled by the entourage of excellent players in the 90s. He elevated the popularity of the game, and altered the free agency culture, but I don’t see the foundation of the game changing with his presence.
But LeBron sees a way out of this: Cleveland. Wiggins is there. A brand new coach is there. Cleveland still can’t buy a win if it had free coupons. Irving is there. Kevin Love might even be there. A hungry young squad is wearing Cavalier uniforms, and Cleveland is just as hungry as ever for a championship as the Browns look better and the Indians are actually being more consistent. LeBron knows that the only way to establish the legacy is to go the route of David Ortiz: end the curse, represent the city, and never have to buy food there again. Cleveland’s curse across all sports has been around since the 1960s, and with the East being as weak as ever this is their chance to sneak into the Finals and stir up some emotions. This is the potential for a new chapter to enter some new territory.
LeBron can cement himself as one of the best if he can lead a young team to the top of the world like he did in Miami with superior stars. Not to insult Wiggins, Love, Irving, or anyone else in the Cavs, but they are not the Heat. Cleveland does not have a slick GM like a Pat Riley, nor do they have an innovative coach like Spolstera. Lastly, they don’t have the clutch shooting of Ray Allen, the energetic range of Chris Bosh, or the playoff experience of Dwayne Wade. LeBron sees the potential but is starting again from the bottom.
Haters will be unable to gripe much if Cleveland wins it all, simply because the city has never seen it with their basketball franchise. There is no sellout, quitter, or lazy argument here. James has come back to his roots, he abandoned the chance to stay in Miami, to play in L.A., to play in New York, and to play in Chicago. He is back home after an extended vacation playing with some buddies and collecting a couple rings. His toughest task is ahead of him and if he can overcome the obstacles, then we have ourselves someone beginning to creep into the NBA books as one of the greatest. He is not among the greatest yet, but winning a ring in Cleveland will definitely elevate his status a bit.
Yes the media hype machine has affected our relationship with the best player in the NBA. Yes, his decision to go a city that has far more fair-weather and bandwagon fans than you can imagine didn’t help much either—making him more a fad than a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Yes, LeBron doesn’t deserve most of the hate. At the end of the day we will merely be disgruntled that all these intangibles (Like the biggest intangible of all: his two rings came during a lockout-shortened season missing a Derrick Rose and a true East rival and also during a Finals that was saved by the greatest 3-pointer in the history of the championship series made by a HOF Ray Allen) disallow for us to truly actually compare him to Jordan or Kobe.
Winning it all while wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey however?
It just might silence all the hate and allow us to see him for what he truly might be: one of the best to ever play the game….whether we like it or not.
LeBron James, you have just signed a wimpy two-year contract to play in Cleveland and promised to finish what you started back home, back to where your career took off. This is most likely your last major opportunity to really prove us wrong.
Don’t. Mess. This. Up.
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