I could sit here and recap the Conference Finals, then move onto to what happened in the Finals themselves, and finally give my opinion why the winners won, and the losers lost. I could talk about how heartbroken I was after the Bulls got knocked out, or how no matter how hard I try, I simply can't make myself like the Mavericks. And I could go on and on whining about empty my life is without pro basketball and state that the fall won't come soon enough. But instead of doing all of that, passing up the obvious, I'm only going to talk about one topic: King James.
Lebron has never been one without haters. From his high school days, to the night he was drafted, to his years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and finally his great "decision", critics have always had something to say. From attacking his loyalty, to his interview style, to his tweets, his personality flaws have been highly scrutinized, granting him nicknames like "queen James" and "quitness". His hairline has been thrown under the bus, rumors of his ex-teammate Delonte West and his mother Gloria having an affair have been floating around, even his habit of excessively chewing on his mouthpiece has been under speculation. And yet, something that rarely turns up in anti-Lebron discussions and articles are his actual basketball abilities.
Now some may say "well so what? We love watching him on the court, its once he steps off it when he gets into trouble..." but what people don't realize is that what he can do with a basketball, the way he can captivate almost any sports fan when his shoes are laced and his headband is on, is what fuels his fire, and subsequently, his ego.
After game six of the finals, the Miami Heat having just lost to the Dallas Mavericks, Lebron stated "all the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they have to get back to the real world at some point", a statement that within seconds of being released, would be dissected apart and commented on. Once again everyone called Lebron selfish and cold. They said he was delusional, that he had no concept of the real world, only the fantasy one he resides in. He was named a traitor to his fans, disrespectful, and yet, wasn't he spot on?
He may have once again failed to lead his team to victory, ending another season without a ring, but so what? Despite the Heat's on-stage celebratory declaration of landing "not one, not two, not three, not four, etc etc etc." championships, did anyone really think that after only one year together, they would be able to snag it? And does anyone really believe that Lebron will one day retire from the league without a single stone on his finger and a gold trophy on his mantel? At the end of the day, Lebron has a decade left to accomplish his goals, is still one of the best ballers to ever play the game, and oh yeah, a millionaire only getting richer by the day. So when he basically calls himself a superstar, and his haters Joe Shmoes, doesn't he have a point? Isn't he still winning, even after a loss?
In my opinion, Lebron James only has one flaw; not truly accepting his role as a villain. It can't be denied that he has a type A personality...cocky, selfish, and cold, and that close to everything he does is solely for his own benefit. He obviously sees himself as some type of god-figure, supernatural and high above the rest. And even in his darkest hour, supports his decisions 100%. However, despite the number of years in the league, or how much he grows as a player, you will never hear him admit any of this. And that is where his problem lies.
He should bask in his ways. He should celebrate his drive. Openly feed his ego. Take pride in always putting himself first. Instead of always having a more "g-rated" and tame followup statement to any so-labeled outlandish quote that escapes his mouth, he should stand up for his beliefs, back up what has already been said; "It wasn’t saying I’m better or superior than anyone else. I would never look at myself as bigger..." There is no need for excuses following his actions: "its always, you know, a race factor." And commercials calling for sympathy, "what should I do? Maybe I should just disappear?", are unnecessary. He is and will always be one of the greatest, and deny it all he wants, he knows it too.
No matter what LBJ does or does not do, says or does not say, stands by or apologizes for, he will always have haters. There will always be those who disapprove of his actions, hate what he says, and target his personality. But what will never be denied is the raw talent he possesses, the skills he is continuously developing, and his role as a leader in the game. So why defend himself? Why try to appeal to the masses? Why mask his true self? To me, it seems the time and energy wasted towards handling "misinterpreted" quotes, "misunderstood" decisions and "misconstrued" ideas, would be much better spent mastering shots, making money and managing a legacy.
Maybe my personality is too close to his, and maybe I love going against the grain, but personally, I bow down to the king. Because on Sunday night, a night that should have been all about the Mavs and their win, I was ordering pink Lebrons v8/v2s and Lebron was giving reporters interviews that once again made sure the media's focus stayed on him.
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