Storyline: The consensus is that LeBron is one of the best players to ever grace a basketball court. But he doesn’t seem to carry himself like Jordan and other greats.
We don’t need to look further than what happened recently in Cleveland–with the firing of second-year head coach, David Blatt. Blatt had compiled an 83-40 regular season record, a 65% winning percentage. In his first year the Cavs went 14-6 in the Playoffs, losing to the Warriors in the NBA finals.
First place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record is certainly grounds for dismissal. In what other sport, or team, have you seen that happen? …unless, of course, the coach did something blatantly detrimental to the team.
Courtesy: hoopshabit.com
But, apparently, ‘The King’ didn’t like the way Blatt was coaching or not coaching – and that included himself, Kryie Irving, Matthew Dellavedova, the three Knick castoffs, and last (but not least), Kevin Love.
Sure, the Cavaliers weren’t lighting it up like they normally do, but they were winning on a consistent basis – at least in the East. Last week’s pasting by the reigning NBA champion Warriors solidified the need for a ‘change’ … or at least that’s what LeBron might have decided.
Let’s face facts. The sheer lunacy that GM David Griffin or owner Dan Gilbert didn’t ‘tell or run this by LeBron’ is a bigger lie than what’s being said by all the presidential candidates combined. Everyone knows the lights don’t go on at Quicken Loans Arena without James flipping the switch. To think otherwise is comical at best. LeBron runs the show in Cleveland and everyone around the league knows it, but won’t say it. Even Greg Popovich made snide comments the other evening following a loss to the Warriors, poking fun at LeBron’s expense regarding his own tenure as coach.
Let’s do a little history lesson for all those who may have forgotten how we got to this point. Does anyone forget the letter Gilbert sent publicly after James left Cleveland back in 2010? It seemed that James would never go back home, and most Cleveland fans questioned his passion for, and commitment to, his home. LeBron seemed to relish the Cavs demise. He went to South Beach and took Miami from obscurity to back-to-back championships.
LeBron doesn’t seem to have any problem going from one team to another. He left the Heat high and dry after the 2013 season to ‘re-engage’ with his former team and, of course, Gilbert. LeBron announced the move on ESPN. It was all about LeBron’s brand, which had been (for all intents and purposes) tarnished. But, then, all seemed to have been forgotten. The Cavs were once again the team to beat in a very weak Eastern Conference.
New Cavs’ coach, Tyronn Lue (CBSSports.com)
Gilbert opening the vault for Iman Shumpert, who couldn’t cut it in New York; obtained an overrated and underachieving Kevin Love; and secured the services of Timofey Mozgov. The payroll is now out of control. So they changed coaches in mid-season with newly minted LeBron fav, Tyronn Lue, who has been an assistant coach since 2009. Lue has said all the right things so far; and he even got the game ball after his first win.
Welcome to the Cleveland ‘LeBronaliers’ coach. Best be on your guard or you may be shown the door after the season. That’s, of course, pending the outcome of the Playoffs–where many wonder if the Cavs will be able to make the finals again.
This brings me to Michael Jordan – the real king of basketball. Sure, MJ was hard to please, had a tremendous ego, and took everything personally. But he also had a remarkable cast of players who enabled him to become one of the best all-around players (if not the best) who ever donned long shorts in the NBA. It didn’t matter if Michael left and came back to the Bulls after his short-lived baseball career. MJ won three championships on both sides of his hiatus–four more than LeBron has in his trophy case.
Courtesy: awesomeish.com
MJ imposed a win at all costs attitude–on himself and his teammates. That’s testament to a unique athlete who won numerous accolades over the course of his stellar NBA career. There will always be a debate among those who saw both play in their primes as to whom–LeBron or MJ–was the best overall player and teammate for their respective squads.
Sure, LeBron had a great cast in Miami. He would never have won it without Wade, Bosh, Allen, and a strong bench. James never had a cast like that in Cleveland … the first time … and it looks as though he doesn’t have it this time around. The magic isn’t back, and no one in their right mind can believe that LeBron can beat the Warriors or Spurs, even when they have an off-night. He tried to do it himself last year and it didn’t work.
At the end of the day, changing coaches, holding the owner hostage for players that he wants, and creating an atmosphere of ‘my way or the highway,’ won’t bring a championship to a city that’s starved for a winner.
LeBron can actually opt-out and leave the Cavs after this season and take big-money elsewhere. We’ll see if there’s a roster, coach, and ownership that he can manipulate to his liking.
No one is saying that he isn’t one of the best players to ever grace a basketball court, but you never hear stories like LeBron’s from Curry, Duncan, Durant, or any of the other stars who just go out, play the game, and win.
Isn’t that what this should all be about? The alternative is LeBron acting like ‘The Donald’ on The Apprentice?
