The Miami Heat overcame the Oklahoma City Thunder as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and
Chris Bosh pocketed the first of what some are saying will be many more NBA
championships to come. Join us as we consider LeBron's victory in terms of NBA history.
Lebron stands tall
LeBron James
finally quieted the naysayers by winning a championship as the critical piece of the talented triumvirate that is the newest and best version of The Big
Three. Sure, there was the original Big
Three in Boston during their glory days of the mid-80's, but even then the main
attraction swallowed whole the co-stars. Those Celtics teams will always be Larry's regardless of the
contributions made by Kevin McHale and Robert "The Chief"
Parish. Larry Bird was the face of the
Celtics during those golden years just as Earvin Johnson was the Magic behind
the great Lakers teams of the same era. It was and always will be Bird versus Magic, not Kevin McHale versus
James Worthy or Danny Ainge versus Byron Scott.
Indeed, if
this Heat team does fulfill their self-proclaimed destiny and win two, three or
more championships, then they will be mentioned in the same rarified air as
Bird's Celtics, Magic's Lakers or Michael's Bulls. As far back as the late 50's and throughout
the 60's, the Boston Celtics reeled off a staggering 11 championships in 13
seasons, a feat which will never be duplicated and, though those Celtic teams
were loaded with Hall of Fame talent, there is one man who stands above the
rest, Bill Russell. Those were Bill's
teams, make no mistake about it.
Though
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are both marquee players, they are but a
supporting cast to the matinee idol that is LeBron James. When LeBron decides to call it a career a
decade from now, his name will be the first associated with this championship
and any others Miami captures during his tenure. Since he entered the league, he has been a
first name kind of guy much like Larry, Magic and Michael. LeBron - the very name is unique much like the
player - but now there's a certain cache that was not there before. When the name LeBron was spoken by NBA fans
outside of South Beach, there was a sneer followed by a snarky remark. He had gone from local kid makes good by
using his immense talents to prop up a playoff starved NBA franchise in
Cleveland only to then cavalierly walk away for the bright lights and big money
of South Beach. It was a decision that
incensed Cavs fans, but it was the
"Decision" that infuriated
the rest of the country.
Bad "decision"
In case your
memory is shorter than most, LeBron James joined the free agent pool after the
2010 season and made Peyton Manning's tour de force around the NFL this
offseason look like a small school walk on being courted by a few CFL practice
squads. The
25-year-old wunderkind would announce his decision on a made for primetime TV
special produced by ESPN called, appropriately enough, The Decision. It was a cold, hard dose of reality to the
Cleveland fans that LeBron wouldn't automatically sign the maximum offer
tendered by management, but the handwringing would be worth it once he announced
on live television that he was indeed returning to the fold to bring a
championship to Cleveland, the area where he grew up.
But LeBron
decided to join his friends in Miami as he and Dwyane Wade, as well as Chris
Bosh, had carefully orchestrated a super team all by themselves. Suitors like the Nets, Knicks, Bulls,
Clippers and, of course, the Cavaliers never had a chance. That is when LeBron went from King James to
the Drama King in one fell swoop. It was
the moment he went from hero to zero in the eyes of everyone but the fans in
Miami. What has been lost in this story
is that a cool $6 million was raised for various charities, which is one of the
biggest reasons James agreed to announce his decision with all the pomp and
circumstance of a royal coronation.
But there
was nothing regal about this, as it was more schmaltz than sizzle, and it drove
home the mercenary nature of professional sports. There is no doubt fans root for the uniform, but everyone wanted LeBron's laundry in their hamper. And, his choice to leave Cleveland was even
more personal because it wasn't about getting more money; it was all about
Miami being Miami and Cleveland being the butt of yet another joke.
James is now king
But things
have changed with this championship title and the ring now on his finger. LeBron no longer has the yoke on his back that he can't win the big games and that he would rather pass than take the last
shot in the clutch. LeBron is all show,
no substance, can't win the big ones they say. Well, whoever "they" is, they ain't saying much right now. James proved he is a force of nature when he
wants to be and he's unstoppable when driving the lane because he is as strong
as the big guys and as quick as the small guys. For all the accolades heaped upon Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook,
even they were no match for the King. James had a triple double in the series clinching Game 5 and copped NBA
Finals MVP honors in the process, which will fit somewhere on his mantle next to
the 2012 regular season MVP award which, of course, will be keeping his two other MVP trophies company and a dizzying array of other awards commemorating his
hard-court brilliance.
People say
LeBron will never be viewed in the same light as a Jordan, Magic, Bird, or
Russell. They, along with a handful of
others who have passed through are revered as truly legendary players who
transformed the game and led their teams to glory not only because of their
physical gifts but because they had an iron will, a steely resolve, that they
would overcome any obstacle and would triumph in the end. They were so special that even their
teammates believed they too could contribute by playing better and smarter than
their opponent. The legends of the game
made those around them better just by being there. Nobody has ever said that about LeBron...but
that may be changing in a hurry.