NO LOVE FOR HEAT-LEBRON JAMES

No love for Heat, LeBron James

BOSTON HERALD

By Steve Bulpett

There is an uneasiness in the basketball heartland. There is, outside of south Florida, a muted reply to the new NBA champions.

LeBron James is being handed his proper respect, but nearly every package delivered is dripping with reluctance.

The Miami Heat — the Prefab Five — vanquished the deer in the headlights Thunder to finally validate its July 2010 celebration, and James is being toasted with a round of praise and handwringing. The high and mighty are chastising those who ever doubted LeBron, even if they were once among those firing keyboard arrows into his hide.

All hail King James. Behold the new NBA order.

But that doesn’t mean people have to like it. The vast consensus is that this will go down as one of the least nationally popular victories of our time, and while it would be moronic not to respect the accomplishment, it would be equally muttonheaded not to understand there are valid reasons why many find it distasteful.

There was absolutely nothing illegal or even immoral with the way LeBron and Chris Bosh conspired to join forces in a warm weather city with Dwyane Wade. They cannot be blamed for taking advantage of their collectively bargained rights.

But even if you reach a level of acceptance regarding the way the Heat came together, one has to recognize that the methods employed run counter to the sensibilities of most people. While fans now have been conditioned to expect a mercenary measure in their games, they would rather their teams be more organically grown.

The 2008 Celtics [team stats] escaped the wrath of purists largely because what they put together cost the club more than money. The Celtics gave up the fifth overall pick in ’07 for Ray Allen, and spent two first-rounders and five players for Kevin Garnett.

The Heat, as was their right, threw money and Miami in winter at guys who’d spent their careers in Cleveland and Toronto.

The difference is not lost on those who watched in record numbers hoping, if the poll numbers are to be believed (and the overwhelming numbers say they should), to see Oklahoma City slay the Gordon Gekko Goliath.

But LeBron James disappointed more than just Cleveland and northeast Ohio this time. His undeniable greatness shone through at the most critical times, and there is reason to argue that his 45 points to stave off elimination in Game 6 against the Celtics was bigger than anything he did in the Finals.

He is a three-time MVP and now he is an NBA champion. He has earned his due, but that doesn’t mean it will not come grudgingly from the masses. James was speaking in more humble tones after Thursday’s victory, but it will take much more work to shake his cavalier treatment of Cleveland.

And this has nothing do to with “The Decision,” the made-for-TV monstrosity a year and 49 weeks ago. I lay not one ounce of blame at LeBron’s feet for that spectacle. Hey, the guy was going to announce his plans, and people came to him and said, “If you do it this way, the Boys and Girls Clubs get a nice check.”

Not a tough decision on the decision. You take something you’re going to do anyway and you get an opportunity to help out some kids? No-brainer. Lights, camera, Jim Gray. LeBron and friends should, however, have passed on the ensuing light show in Miami and the bold pronouncements (“not two, not three, not four” etc.).

Beyond the smoke machine was an old story. This was the local tournament where one guy loads up his squad with outsiders. And this time he won.

The Miami Heat overcame some truly difficult situations throughout this postseason and played some inspiring basketball. But the inelegance of their creation will deny them the affection of the masses.

They will have to be happy with merely the 2012 NBA championship.

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“The answer is that one would like to be both the one and the other; but because it is difficult to combine them, it is far safer to be feared than loved if you cannot be both.” - Niccolo Macchiavelli, from "The Prince"

bob


.

There may not be love for LeBron, but there is increased respect due to LeBron elevating his level of play. Here's part of an article from noted Boston fan Bill Simmons describing two factors that he feels drove LeBron to step up his game.

So what actually changed? For one thing, Dwyane Wade injured his knee and became 70 Percent Of Dwyane Wade, inadvertently solving the "dueling banjos" dilemma. The Heat tried to thwart six decades of NBA history by teaming two alpha dogs together, making them equals and assuming their overwhelming talent would overcome any resulting bumpiness. They were wrong. Basketball doesn't work that way, for the same reason you don't need two transcendent lead guitarists for a rock band. Someone had to learn bass. It ended up being Wade, and only because fate intervened. We'll remember Game 6 of the Boston series for a variety of reasons, but mainly because LeBron looked around and said, I'm going down on my own terms. I'm playing all 48 minutes and scoring 50 points. If we lose, we lose. At least nobody will say that I rolled over. It ended up being the most important two hours of his career. He went out and assassinated the Celtics.

From that moment forward, Dwyane Wade became a glorified sidekick. Everything Miami did offensively went through LeBron. Wade quickly figured out how to coexist, grabbing stray shots and doing anything else the team needed: protecting the rim, crashing the boards, bolting toward the rim for backdoor passes anytime Oklahoma City forgot about him. You couldn't even call him more valuable than Chris Bosh, who reestablished himself in those last seven playoff games as a quality defender, screen-and-roller and inside/outside threat who didn't need the ball to thrive. Was Wade happy about how it played out? Absolutely … because they won. Tellingly, of course, he made a point of mentioning how "difficult" that adjustment was.

And that's only scratching the surface. Imagine you're Wade. Imagine you talk Bosh and LeBron into joining YOUR team and living in YOUR city. Imagine that first year going to hell. Imagine coming to the begrudging realization that you're only going as far as LeBron takes you, that — even though it's your city, and you're the one who gets introduced last at every home game — you're going to have to wear the Robin costume. By Game 2 of the Finals, everyone is wondering whether you're the same guy you used to be; meanwhile, you've never had to take a backseat on a basketball court before, and that's what is screwing you up more than anything. By Game 5, you're listening to your fans serenade LeBron with "M-V-P!" chants as he holds two trophies like a hunter holding a couple of deer heads. You're standing on the side, just like Shaq six years ago. Maybe that's what he meant by "difficult."

Just know the situation was resolved organically, much like it was during the 2008 Olympics, when Spain was closing in and Kobe said I got this, followed by everyone else letting him have it. That's just how basketball works. You can't have two guys saying "I got this." Miami figured that out a year late. And if Wade hadn't tweaked his knee, maybe they never would have.

The other twist of fate: Derrick Rose wrecked his knee in Round 1, propelling the Celtics into the Conference Finals … you know, LeBron's nemesis, the bullies who beat him in 2008 and 2010, the grizzled veterans who were convinced that LeBron would always cave when it mattered most. Garnett and Pierce loved pushing his buttons more than anyone. During their final regular-season road trip to Miami, which turned out to be a surprisingly easy win for the Celtics, they spent the last two minutes busting Wade's balls about LeBron. You picked the wrong guy. You'll never win with that guy. LeBron could hear everything. They didn't care. In Game 5 of their playoff series, Garnett and Pierce pushed things a little further, believing that LeBron was ready to cave again. Down the stretch, Garnett muttered derisive obscenities under his breath anytime LeBron was in earshot, then stuffed him at the rim on a pivotal drive. A little bit later, Pierce nailed a back-breaking 3 right in LeBron's mug, then yelled, "I have the balls to take that!" as he trotted back down the floor.

In retrospect, they pushed him too far. The Celtics regarded LeBron with a surprising amount of disdain — that's why Rondo angrily yelped, "Let's go!" before defending LeBron's final drive of regulation in Game 2. LeBron ended up settling for a 21-footer against someone seven inches shorter than him, followed by Rondo strutting back to the huddle and probably telling his teammates, "I knew he didn't have the balls to come at me." They spent that whole series challenging his manhood; by the end of Game 5, they thought they had broken him. Was that what turned him into a serial killer in Game 6? Not entirely … but it definitely helped. I just don't think LeBron makes LeLeap without the bullies from Boston.

Both arguments make sense to me -- that Wade getting hurt gave LeBron the freedom to be the undisputed team leader, and that Boston's challenge forced LeBron to rise to become what he is capable of.

There's much more to the article. Here's the link.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8085525/lebron-makes-leap

Outside

Thanks for the quote, Bob, and the link, Outside.

In another era, I worked for the Mayor of Boston and he was fond of telling his managers, "It's better to be feared than loved." It's kind of shocking that he almost got it right.

In this case, it's so appropriate considering Lebron's kingship. If you read betwen the lines with Simmons, he may never lose again. He has the perfect basketball body and he finally figured it out, - specifically, he stopped taking perimeter shots and started driving, passed more, and crashed the boards. To top off his own ascension to perfection, he has dynamite teammates and they almost play like a team.

To all of that, Red Auerbach would say, "The toughest thing is to win it the second time."

In these playoffs, Lebron was the single hungriest basketball player I've ever seen. He was reading "The Hunger Games" because he was profoundly hungry. Paul Pierce knew all his life what he could do, and he did it in 2008. Lebron knew, too, he watched Paul, and you'd like to think he learned from him.

I disagree with Simmons about Leleap. It seemed more like a stretch than a leap. Lebron pushed himself not to his physical limit but emotional. He had to become something he wasn't and he wasn't happy about it. You have to wonder if he ever wants to go there again. It was hell for poor Lebron. He didn't just have a game face, he never smiled, ever, until the very end. Larry had that game face, many did, but you could tell he was loving every minute of it. When he hit those daggers right into the heart of the other team, he bounced, he beamed. With Lebron, it looked like it was killing him to play like that. He seemed in pain the whole time. There was no joy, even at the end.

Despite all the negative energy produced from Lebron's self indulgent proclamations, .I am willing to forgive and forget because I love the game of basketball more than I love the Celtics.

Winning one is probably not enough for many fans, but it is clear that he is the best basketball player on the planet and given his physical attributes perhaps the best basketball talent ever.

His teams ability to layer multiple championships will probably be thwarted by the Celtics. No fear in my team even when they must face a truly great player like Lebron.

Dboss

Hes getting no respect or love from me, we should have won that series in 5, we know who stole it. The Heat then got every key call in next series......makes me sick how fockin fixed this league is.

Just remember one thing, he set himself up for this dislike. They rubbed it in the entire basketball world's face that they thought they were buying title after title. So, even though I will admit deserved this title, it is going to take alot more for the basketball world to embrace him. Stop whining, enjoy the moment, get your ring and move on, LeBron. No sympathy here, great as you are

Rosalie

Cowens: You spoke the gospel truth!

MD!

I will say bron played very well. Still a long ways from being embraced by many and will never be that way by me, perhaps he takes on a Chamberlan like role being a villian but at least Wilt had class! Hopefully as in 67 for Wilt, this will be the only success he has against us.

beat

dboss wrote:Despite all the negative energy produced from Lebron's self indulgent proclamations, .I am willing to forgive and forget because I love the game of basketball more than I love the Celtics.

Winning one is probably not enough for many fans, but it is clear that he is the best basketball player on the planet and given his physical attributes perhaps the best basketball talent ever.

His teams ability to layer multiple championships will probably be thwarted by the Celtics. No fear in my team even when they must face a truly great player like Lebron.

Dboss

+1

Very well stated.

I am skeptical that LeBron will stay at this peak level of performance for as long as Simmons and others seem to think. He is a physical freak of nature, with that combination of size, speed, quickness, and explosion. However, I have to believe that combination will take a toll on his body. I've been wrong about that before -- I thought Shaq's bulk would mean he wouldn't play a day past age 35 -- but most of the great leapers develop tendonitis and other knee problems once they see the other side of age 30. LeBron's only 27, but he came into the league straight out of high school, and as Kobe once said, it's not the years, it's the mileage.

I also wonder if the typical progression of athletes, particularly basketball players, gaining weight with age will strike him. I remember marveling at Magic Johnson's combination of height and quickness, that he was quicker than almost everyone else, but the latter portion of his career, he put on weight and lost that edge in quickness. Magic more than made up for that with his height advantage, court vision, and basketball IQ, plus he made himself into a good outside shooter. LeBron is so bulky right now that he's going to be in trouble if he gains any more weight. My guess is that he'll have to adapt his game from one dependent on his physical advantage.

Add that all up, plus the fact that Wade's body is already breaking down, and I think their window is relatively short. That's not to say that LeBron can't win more titles with a different cast, but I don't think it's the foregone conclusion that some think it is now that he's won one.

Outside

And then you have Garnett, 17 years in the league, and his body is so fit. I do know that his knees are beginning to be a problem, but, it will be interesting to see how he performs this next year if he decides to come back. And..........
then there is Ray.....

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112288

Hi,
Another interesting aspect of LJ mentality is how he'll cope with the ring. What I mean is this. For 6-7 years LJ has been trying to climb this mountain and every time he was stopped at this or that point. Now he finally got to the top. There are no higher mountains to climb. So, what what he's going to do?
Also, as I see currently there's no team that can beat Mia. Will it give him the sense of invincibility? Who knows.
I hope that it will be one and done. I hope that he never wins another ring. As I said before, I'd rather Kobe wins 5 more rings than Lebron wins 1 more. With all due respect to his talents, capabilities, etc.

AK

Sinus

The notion that no team can beat Miami is absurd.

I believe that a healthy Avery Bradley could very well have made the difference.
Dboss

dboss,

I think you're right about Bradley. We came close as it was and we simply ran out of gas. With Avery in there to turn up the heat on the defensive end (or should I say turn off the heat) the result may have been different.

Although he may have not made all the difference needed, if Perkins had been healthy OKC might have had a better shot this year and I think they may be able to turn the corner next. I also think a healthy Chicago lineup could have what it takes.

Regards

OKC's coaching staff lost that series!

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Celtics missed Bradley for sure but remember Bosh missed the 1st 4 games for the heat.
swish

Swish

True Bosh was out.

I just think that Avery had extraordinary on the ball defensive skills that absolutely disrupt a teams offense and before his shoulder went out, his offense also opened my eyes.

The Heat won but hardly a dominant team.

Health has been the key for this team winning or losing (perk, kg, Bradley...) This was one of the best Celtics team I have ever seen. I can't wait for next years run.

Dboss

Hey,

How about all our centers who were out!

112288

Hi,
Sorry, I should've been more descriptive. I meant teams how they currently constructed but in the upcoming season. Kind of oxymoron but we don't know what will happen between now and November. Therefore I projected current state into the future.
Heat don't need and most probably won't do major changes. All other "usual suspects" need and will do major changes in order to be contenders.

As for beating Mia in the last playoffs - probably Bulls with DR and Noah @100%. And I am of unequivocal opinion that Heat're able to squeeze by Celtics only with the help of refs, even giving all the credit to LJ's outstanding performance. BTW, I wonder what Simmons et al would write if the officiating in the first 2 games of ECF was similar to last 5 games?

AK