duncan228
05-26-2009, 01:37 PM
The opposing view is here:
Recognize LeBron's greatness now ... or your own stupidity later
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127314
LeBron needs a ring before we can think of crowning him king (http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/11788963)
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
So it's actually true ... LeBron James isn't God.
Based on the way Gregg Doyel and many other James worshippers committed third-degree face licking on James after he hit the winner in Game 2, you would think James created heaven, the stars and Halle Berry. Doyel's story after that game wasn't a column, it was a marriage proposal.
Thus, yes, when the Cleveland Cavaliers drastically underperform in the Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic (the Cavaliers should be losing this series 3-0) there's going to be backlash and much of it will be aimed at his holiness.
In some media quarters, LeBron is beginning to get LeBashed as the product of a hyperactive hype machine fueled by ESPN and Nike.
This column is just a friendly reminder that LeBron James and Yakhouba Diawara have the same number of NBA championships.
James is fantastic, James is classy, James is eternal. But there has been a bit of a coronation of him as the greatest when he hasn't won a damn thing. Yet.
Championships still matter, and that's the source of the building backlash. If James loses this series -- and it's a 50-50 proposition at this point -- his legend will take a dramatic hit because he will again have advanced deep into the postseason and walked away without a ring.
James' apologists will say it's the supporting cast, but that excuse doesn't have an indefinite expiration date. It's already getting old. In fact, if James loses this series the only Jordan he should be mentioned with is LaMont Jordan.
Just kidding ... but not by much.
It's about titles (and not scoring titles). It's about rings. This is why putting James in the same conversation with Michael Jordan at this point is -- as Keith Olbermann might say -- premature joculation. Jordan was the ultimate closer and James has yet to demonstrate that kind of galactic ability.
Doyel uses Dan Marino as an example of a great player who didn't win a championship. That's true. Marino is likely the most technically skilled thrower the NFL has ever seen (Peyton Manning and John Unitas are right there as well) but other players were better quarterbacks.
See the difference? Without a title, James might be considered the best athlete the sport has seen but Jordan, with his multiple titles, would still be viewed by most as the best basketball player in league history.
That's why this series is so vital for James. In some ways, a portion of his legacy is at stake. The distance between Dominique Wilkins and James is not as great as some people want to think.
Just imagine what some will say if Carmelo Anthony or Dwight Howard earn a ring before James. Or if Kobe Bryant earns another title, this time doing so without Shaquille O'Neal. If any of those things occurred, James would face more criticism than he ever has before.
James is young and has a decade to win championships, but who knows how many more times he'll get this close?
The backlash has started, the microscope enlarged, the expectations grow.
This is James' world now and if he gets tapped out against Orlando, the legend of James would suffer some damage just. As it should.
Then the backlash would develop into a serious case of whiplash.
Recognize LeBron's greatness now ... or your own stupidity later
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127314
LeBron needs a ring before we can think of crowning him king (http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/11788963)
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
So it's actually true ... LeBron James isn't God.
Based on the way Gregg Doyel and many other James worshippers committed third-degree face licking on James after he hit the winner in Game 2, you would think James created heaven, the stars and Halle Berry. Doyel's story after that game wasn't a column, it was a marriage proposal.
Thus, yes, when the Cleveland Cavaliers drastically underperform in the Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic (the Cavaliers should be losing this series 3-0) there's going to be backlash and much of it will be aimed at his holiness.
In some media quarters, LeBron is beginning to get LeBashed as the product of a hyperactive hype machine fueled by ESPN and Nike.
This column is just a friendly reminder that LeBron James and Yakhouba Diawara have the same number of NBA championships.
James is fantastic, James is classy, James is eternal. But there has been a bit of a coronation of him as the greatest when he hasn't won a damn thing. Yet.
Championships still matter, and that's the source of the building backlash. If James loses this series -- and it's a 50-50 proposition at this point -- his legend will take a dramatic hit because he will again have advanced deep into the postseason and walked away without a ring.
James' apologists will say it's the supporting cast, but that excuse doesn't have an indefinite expiration date. It's already getting old. In fact, if James loses this series the only Jordan he should be mentioned with is LaMont Jordan.
Just kidding ... but not by much.
It's about titles (and not scoring titles). It's about rings. This is why putting James in the same conversation with Michael Jordan at this point is -- as Keith Olbermann might say -- premature joculation. Jordan was the ultimate closer and James has yet to demonstrate that kind of galactic ability.
Doyel uses Dan Marino as an example of a great player who didn't win a championship. That's true. Marino is likely the most technically skilled thrower the NFL has ever seen (Peyton Manning and John Unitas are right there as well) but other players were better quarterbacks.
See the difference? Without a title, James might be considered the best athlete the sport has seen but Jordan, with his multiple titles, would still be viewed by most as the best basketball player in league history.
That's why this series is so vital for James. In some ways, a portion of his legacy is at stake. The distance between Dominique Wilkins and James is not as great as some people want to think.
Just imagine what some will say if Carmelo Anthony or Dwight Howard earn a ring before James. Or if Kobe Bryant earns another title, this time doing so without Shaquille O'Neal. If any of those things occurred, James would face more criticism than he ever has before.
James is young and has a decade to win championships, but who knows how many more times he'll get this close?
The backlash has started, the microscope enlarged, the expectations grow.
This is James' world now and if he gets tapped out against Orlando, the legend of James would suffer some damage just. As it should.
Then the backlash would develop into a serious case of whiplash.