Storyline: When it comes to writing LeBron’s legacy, a culprit is NBA’s wretched Eastern Conference. Written by Brandon Small, Redding, CA
After watching the Golden State Warriors celebrate on LeBron’s home floor, I, like many other King James supporters, couldn’t help but feel for the world’s greatest player and the entire city of Cleveland, Ohio.
Courtesy: hoopshabit.com
It wasn’t that I felt that the Cavs were the superior team; and it wasn’t that I even had an aversion towards the Warriors players or franchise. Instead, I found myself lamenting over the arguably tarnished legacy of LeBron James.
In the wake of LeBron’s fourth finals loss, I impulsively jumped to blaming injuries, the “Trash Brothers” (J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert), and the fact that everything seemed to fall into place for Golden State (e.g., luxury of playing four teams without starting point guards … or at least a severely hobbled starting point guard in Memphis’ case.)
But with further reflection I realized that the issue doesn’t lie with Golden State’s easy road to the finals or even the poor play of Cleveland’s supporting cast. When it comes to LeBron’s mangled legacy, the culprit is the wretched Eastern Conference.
LeBron James’ aggregate record in the NBA Finals is now 2-4. Despite the amazing feat of a single player reaching the NBA Finals an awe-inspiring 6 times, it’s effortless to acknowledge that four losses in the Finals is not something that James wants on his resume. After a loss in Game 6 James said in his postgame press conference: “I’d rather not even make the playoffs than lose in the Finals.”
What’s the real difference between not making it to the Playoffs, being eliminated in the first three rounds, and losing on the game’s biggest stage? Why is it deemed worse to make it to the Finals … and lose … than to be bounced in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Rounds? The answer is irrelevant because, for whatever reason to sports fans, it does matter.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
Michael Jordan will forever be praised for an unblemished 6-0 aggregate record in the NBA Finals. However, Michael’s Bulls were far from untried and untested.
Three times in a row Jordan’s team was defeated by the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals and once in the semi-finals. Time after time the Piston’s proved to be too much for Michael and the Bulls. And, in many ways, that constant failure motivated Jordan and forced him and his teammates to elevate their game to dethrone the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons in ’91—a breakthrough that allowed Jordan to take down the Lakers in just five games for his first of six NBA titles.
But what if the Pistons of the ’80s had never existed? Or what if Jordan had gotten lucky and squeezed by Detroit because of an injury or two? Perhaps the Bulls would have undeservedly made it to the finals without having been truly tested. If those Pistons teams were the primary motivating factor, it’s feasible to think that those Bulls teams were too soft to beat Detroit. The Bulls could have faltered against teams like the Lakers or Blazers in the NBA Finals.
Courtesy: espn,go.com
The fact of the matter is that the 1988-90 Bulls were not ready to hoist up the Larry O’Brien Trophy. And we, as sports fans, don’t criticize Jordan for failing numerous times in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. It just wouldn’t be fair to do so.
With that said, is it right and just to pick on LeBron for making it further than Jordan while falling short of the ultimate goal? If Jordan had made it to the finals and lost, like LeBron, would his legacy be tainted … just like his perfect finals record? I believe so, regardless of whether or not I think it’s fair.
The major difference between LeBron and players with outstanding finals records is this: LeBron has managed to take a number of untried and unworthy teams to the championship. Unlike Jordan, who had the Pistons and the Magic to halt his weaker Bulls teams, LeBron has often been able to breeze through the pathetic Eastern Conference with teams that many would argue had no place being there.
When I look back to LeBron’s two losses in the Finals with Miami–and his most current loss with Cleveland–I find myself having a hard time remembering easier pathways to the championship round. In 2011, which was LeBron’s first season with the Heat, Miami took out all three of their Eastern Conference opponents in just five games each–despite having a team with an obvious lack of chemistry and experience. In 2014 Miami lost to San Antonio by a record margin of points in just five games. They appeared old, fatigued, and no match for the vengeful and hungry Spurs. But in the first three rounds of those playoffs Miami looked to be in a different league from all three of their Eastern Conference opponents—winning the East in just fifteen games.
Courtesy – SI.com
And, as for this year’s disaster, LeBron was able to sweep two teams, while handling the East’s only other contender–the Bulls–in six games. All this was accomplished with a young, banged up, and inexperienced Cavs roster–a roster that had been thrown together over the course of a rocky season.
So I wasn’t surprised when LeBron’s Cavs fell to the Warriors in six games. I was frustrated, though, because I knew that LeBron–regardless of his historic performance–would be ridiculed for his 4th Finals loss. I was upset because I knew when Kyrie Irving went down that LeBron’s team wasn’t worthy of playing on the NBA’s biggest stage.
The loss in the Finals shouldn’t have happened. Why? The Cavs shouldn’t have been there.
The East should have been able to produce an opponent to disrupt a depleted Cavs team’s easy stroll to the NBA Finals. There should have been a team. like the 80s Pistons, to prevent LeBron from walking into another Finals … unprepared and unequipped to take on the far superior Western Conference participant.
Courtesy: CBS Local Miami
As much as the weak Eastern Conference appears to be an asset for LeBron and his quest for more titles, it also hurts his chances of cementing his place on the NBA’s all-time ‘Mount Rushmore.’ It’s of no coincidence that LeBron’s two titles have come during years when his team was actually forced to face adversity. In both 2012 and 2013 the Miami Heat had to battle it out in the Eastern Conference Finals. In both instances Boston and, then, Indiana were able to extend the series to seven games.
Rest is important, but the NBA Finals are not meant to be a walk in the park. The 2012-13 Eastern Conference Finals made LeBron and his teammates stronger and better equipped to take on the Western Conference opponents. We call LeBron ‘lucky’ because he may be playing in the weakest conference the NBA has ever seen. But what we fail to see is that it’s not doing any favors to his legacy.
When we value a player’s greatness, we look most closely at their work on the NBA’s biggest stage. And although a stronger Eastern Conference would have almost undoubtedly meant fewer trips to the finals for the game’s greatest player, the King’s scarce breakthroughs and finals appearances would have carried much more weight. If the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons existed today LeBron would not have appeared in the Finals six times, but he would be a stronger and more complete player.
Playing in the East can be looked at as a luxury for most players. But when you are so harshly criticized for losing once you get to the Finals–learning that your team isn’t as good as it seems to be–then that’s no luxury at all.
If LeBron’s 2012-13 Championships tell us anything it’s this: being tested and proving your worth before the Finals is the greatest gift any team can ask for.
