LeBron image getting hurt by blowout
Anybody who knows anything about the game of basketball understands that it is played on a star system.
Sure, you have five men playing against another five men on the court at the same time, but the best players dictate the action to a large degree. In this vein, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is getting his image and ego cut down to considerable size.
James has been one of the greatest players in basketball history through his 12 transcendent seasons with the Cavaliers and Miami Heat. He has reached six consecutive NBA Finals (and counting) and won two of them. He has been named to the All-NBA First-Team on 10 occasions and been a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player. He is elite on both sides of the ball and might b the most compete player we have seen since the great Oscar Robertson.
Yet, for all of his accolades and talents, it is these bad showings in the NBA Finals that people will also remembered alongside the brilliance. Why is it that James, who has been so magnificent throughout the regular season and much of the playoffs, falls short in these huge moments?
Nobody is suggesting that Cleveland is losing the title to the Golden State Warriors because of James. In fact, the only reason the Cavaliers haven’t lost both of the first two games by 50 points is because of James. Still, he has to do more. On the stat sheet, a few more points would be nice but more importantly, he needs to lift those around him up.
With Michael Jordan, he created a fear and an aura of invincibility. Jordan led his six Chicago Bulls teams to championships with incredible talent but also fierce leadership. Sometimes it was a pat on the backside. Other times it was maniacal rage. Regardless, he got his teammates to raise their level of play to an optimal level.
Chicago always played hard and with a steely determination. Cleveland seems to sag in the big moments when things begin to turn sour, and that is absolutely on James. He needs to be the man who holds the line. Far too often, he looks despondent and exhausted. Hell, he looks as though he has fully accepted defeat.
The Cavaliers are going to lose this series because the Warriors are a better team. James has no chance of beating that team because it is far better.
In the process, though, James can earn back some respect by playing his ass off every second he is on the court and imploring his teammates to do so alongside him.
That is what the great ones do. Win or lose.
