Lay off of LeBron

In the past I’ve been critical of Miami Heat forward LeBron James. Mostly because of the clouded judgement which many sports fans have viewed him with since he signed with the Heat. I didn’t have a dislike of James because he signed with Miami, it’s just the way he did it.

Since then his game has been scrutnized. Since James has become part of the ‘big 3’ in Miami, everyone has talked about how he disappears in the fourth quarter or how he defers to Dwayne Wade or passes to a lesser player for a key shot. You know what I think? I think everyone needs to lay off of James and just let him play his game.

I’ve never seen a player having an MVP type season get picked on so much for what he doesn’t do. Everyone wants James to take over in key moments. He has to a certain extent in his career. But James has always looked to make his teammates better. That’s just how he is. He was like that in his first NBA game and he is now. He is clearly the most talented player on the court so there are many who view James as a disappointment sometimes.

I don’t view him as a disappointment. I view him as a player that wants his teammates to shine just as much as he does. When he came into the league, I saw that in his game. He played a little like Magic Johnson, always looking for his teammates. I also saw that he didn’t have a killer instinct. It just wasn’t in his makeup. But he is so supremely talented that it doesn’t matter.

I get tired of hearing about how he passes to his teammates at key junctures of the game. Like against the Atlanta Hawks Friday night he passed off to Udonis Haslem for the game winner. Haslem missed the shot and James was criticized yet again. Think about it, maybe Haslem had an easier shot than the one he might’ve taken. Haslem was the open man, but if James takes the shot and misses then you’d hear how he fails in the clutch. No one was criticizing Michael Jordan for passing to John Paxson in the Finals. Paxson nailed the shot,  but everyone would’ve said it was Paxson’s fault for not making the shot rather than Jordan passed up a game winner.

Look at James for what he is. A one of a kind basketball player. A player that is so much better than everyone but looks to get everyone involved. A team player. He’ll never be the cold blooded assassin type player. He leaves that role to Wade. Just let James play his game and watch how good he truly is instead of dissecting his every move and picking him apart.

Kerr: "LeBron Is More Pippen Than Jordan"

When the Miami Heat vanquished the Chcago Bulls to get to the NBA Finals, Scottie Pippen came out and said that LeBron James would be a greater player than Michael Jordan. It was blasphemous to say the least.

Now that Miami has been whacked by the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals, LeBron’s shortcomings as a player have been exposed, magnified, and picked apart. Former Suns GM and current TNT analyst Steve Kerr did that and then some. In the process he told Pippen that his assessment was dead wrong.

“The irony to me is that LeBron is not Michael. LeBron is actually Scottie,” former Bull and current television analyst Steve Kerr said Monday on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “He’s so similar to Scottie in that defensively he was just a monster, could guard anybody, really more of a point forward than scoring guard. Scottie always loved to distribute the ball. That’s really where LeBron’s preference is.



“Phil Jackson used to call Scottie a ‘sometimes shooter.’ Sometimes they would go in, sometimes they wouldn’t. That’s how it is with LeBron. He’s a great talent and a great player but you can see his flaws as a basketball player. He doesn’t have an offensive game that he can rely on: no low-post game, no mid-range jump shot so when the game really gets tough he has a hard time finding easy baskets and getting himself going. That’s what Michael did in his sleep so that’s why the comparison is wrong.”

I would say just wait and see until his career plays out. I hate it when we start saying that a player is this and that. How about he reminds me of him. That would be a lot better.

I do agree with Kerr’s point that James does need to work a little more on his game. Most notably his jump shot.

“Michael had three years at North Carolina with Dean Smith. That makes a big difference,” Kerr said. “I think he was brought up at a time when there was probably better development at a young age in terms of coaching. I think LeBron is a product of the AAU system where you rely on your athleticism, you go and play 100 games a year but maybe you don’t focus on your weaknesses and what you need to lock in on.



“As a result, fundamentally and technically LeBron has some flaws. He has to address those. If I were him I would spend all summer down on the low block shooting jump hooks and turnaround jump shots — the entire summer.”

College doesn’t neccessarily benefit everyone, but it could’ve made James more media savvy than what he is.

 

 

Carlos Boozer Throws The First Stone

Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer should pay attention to that old adage.

Boozer, who has been called out for his subpar playoff performance has started the war of words between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. In a tweet to Shandel Richardson from the Sun Sentinel , Boozer said the Heat had two great players. Boozer doesn’t see Miami’s big three as a big three. He clearly sees it as a big two and a third wheel.

Now Bosh wasn’t having the greatest playoff against Boston, but stepped it up when he had to. Bosh will have to continue his high level of play if Miami is to beat Chicago. On the other hand Boozer will have to be big in this series, especially since he let off the first verbal shot in the series.   

The King May Be Going To Court

Miami Heat star LeBron James will have more than this current losing streak and crying teammates to worry about.

An Atlanta nightclub, The Opera, is suing James for failing to show up on an agreed upon appearance. The Opera nightclub’s complaint filed Monday in Fulton County Superior Court says James canceled a March 17 appearance for which he was supposed to be paid $25,000. The suit also names the owners of the rival Gold Room nightclub. Court papers say a representative for James accepted $15,500 in advance payments from Opera, then notified the club that James would appear at the Gold Room.

Damn, it’s just a one hour appearance. Just show up, pop a bottle and leave. And to the owners of The Opera. I know you guys want to draw a crowd, but when dealing with entertainers make sure they’re gonna be there. I know you gotta pay up front, but get an agreement in writing if you have to.

Lebron, stop flaking out on club appearances. This looks like a doing of Maverick Carter.

  

Dwayne Wade Wants To Hear Your Boos

When the Miami Heat signed Chris Bosh and LeBron James over the summer to form the Superfriends, every basketball fan from coast to coast had some animosity. More so in the cities of Cleveland and Toronto, where Bosh and James escaped from to go to Miami. So when the Heat go to Cleveland and Toronto, Bosh and James get the business and Dwayne Wade gets cheers. Wade recently joked that he would like to get booed as much as James and Bosh.

“Yeah, that’s like a slap in the face,” Wade said, smiling in an interview with the Palm Beach Post. “You know, we go back to Cleveland, I got cheered. We come here, I get cheered. That’s a slap in the face to these guys. No, those cheers are boos to me as well.”

Even in jest Wade would never be vilified, except in his hometown of Chicago since he never really entertained the thought of signing with the Bulls. Also, he didn’t bail out on his current team for another and leave a franchise in shambles. I’ll say this, Wade was smart to recruit Bosh and James to Miami. Toronto wasn’t going anywhere and we see what Cleveland is without LeBron. If anything Wade is guilty by association, and I say that jokingly. Wade will never be lustily booed unless he’s in Boston, L.A.(against the Lakers), or Chicago.

Personally I think fans need to get over this I hate the Miami Heat thing. Since when do you see players giving up money to win. They still get paid an obscene amount and they also know they need other pieces around them to win. I’m sure it adds more fuel for them to win.

LeBron Spanks Himself

After draining a key three pointer LeBron James decided to spank himself or tell someone to kiss it. It has to be one of the two.

 

Don’t Be Alarmed

The Miami Heat and their supertrio probably played the worst game they’ll probably play this year. The Heat dropped an 88-80 decision to the Boston Celtics last night. Save for LeBron James, the Heat didn’t play that well. They showed flashes and LeBron showed that he might be the go to guy out of the three. Due to a hamstring injury and his divorce/custody case Dwayne Wade looked a little rusty to me. Chris Bosh looked like Chris Bosh having a lousy night in Toronto. Also as usual Boton played their trademark tough defense. They won’t look this way every game. Nor will they look like the 72 win Bulls team every game. But there’s no way they put together another nine point quarter this year.

Kobe Says He’d Beat LeBron 1 on 1

Drop the 3-point shootout and slam dunk contest immediately and replace with a 1-on-1 competition. Smartest idea I have read in years. Absolutley right, who would not want to see that? Take 8 top NBA stars (pick ’em any way you want as long as Kobe, LeBrpn and Carmelo are in) and play a 1-on-1 tourney with $2 mil to the winner and that would be MUST SEE TV. That would be something every basketball fan would tune in to.

The Story That Won’t Die

I’m sure you’ve heard what everyone else has. You know, Jesse Jackson’s statement about Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. In a nutshell, he said Gilbert’s reaction to LeBron James’ departure from the Cavaliers reflected a slavemaster mentality. Sorry Jesse, I don’t think it’s that deep. While I don’t agree with the way Gilbert reacted, I also don’t think of major league sports owners as “slavemasters”. Hell, James must be the most encumbered slave in the history of the United States. If making around $20 million is being enslaved, then put the shackles on me and sign me up. This adds another level of absurdity to this whole saga.

First, I don’t agree with the way James put his free agent status on display. It was ridculous. Lots of people watched,but it was ridiculous. I don’t agree with the way he left the Cavs in a lurch. If he knew he was going to leave, he could’ve told them sooner so they could proceed with a plan B. Now you know why Gilbert is so angry.

Which brings me to Gilbert. I hate to say it, but he acted like a bitch. I can understand he has to galvanize the fan base in Cleveland to sell tickets and make money. But with the fans already burning James’ jersey, he did nothing but add fuel to the fire and possibly put James’ life in danger anytime he sets foot in the State of Ohio. I do agree with Jackson in that regard. Gilbert knows he’s lost about half the value of his team and they’re about to return to the Cadavalier days and he knows it. He also knows he won’t win a championship before James in Miami,but he has to be a showman to get someone to buy tickets there.

Now this is something Jesse Jackson shouldn’t be involved in. It was front page and I guess he had to get involved and get in the spotlight in some kind of way. Comparing this to slavery is an insult to thosewho went through it and the descendants of those who went through involuntary servitude. Last time I checked playing in the NBA was the farthest thing from slavery, involuntary servitude, etc. Please,stay out of this one Jesse. Isn’t there some hostages that need to be freed somewhere?

This story just doesn’t want to die. All parties besides James, need to let go and move on.

LeBron Will Never Be Viewed As The King

With LeBron James officially a member of the Miami Heat, its safe to say that many will say that no matter how many titles he wins there, he will never be known as the King. James is without a doubt one of the top players in the NBA today and perhaps will go down as one of the greatest of all time. But with him signing with Miami just says that he wasn’t able to close the deal in Cleveland. I will agree with many that a championship in Cleveland would’ve meant a whole lot more to his legacy than teaming up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to win one and possibly more. I’m not here to bash James for his decision. In the spirit of competition,the man wants to win.I can’t blame him for that. Same goes for Wade and Bosh. Both of them will be look at the same. Players that couldn’t win without another superstar. Wade does have a ring and it was his team, but he still had Shaq with two good knees and something to prove. It also helps to have the officials in your back pocket and another star (Dirk Nowitzki) shrinkig up in the spotlight.  All three are grea players, but the spotlight wll be squarely on James. This is Wade’s team and his town. I’ve always said that James lacked a killer instinct, and him going to Miami confirmed my suspicion. True, he’s a great player, but in the past and this year’s playoffs included, he has shrunk in big moments. It kind of reminds me of Ric Flair hiding behind the Four Horsemen. There’s a tier of great players like Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. Its true they had stellar help around them, but the team was built around them. Like the Cavaliers were built around James. Instead he will go down with the likes of James Worthy, Billy Cunningham, Robert Parish, and countless good players who were a cog in the machine.