Three Reasons LeBron James Won't Reach His Expectations

[Brazil]

http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/images/photos/000/795/684/RackMultipart.19159.0_feature.jpg?1263191163



On the same night I watched LeBron James dominate the Portland Trail Blazers (http://bleacherreport.com/portland-trail-blazers) to the lou of 41 points, eight assists, and 10 rebounds. I was able think of three reasons LeBron James will not become all the National media thinks he will.
LeBron has been Dominant. Seriously. He's averaging 28 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds a game.
The dude can ball.
But that's not one of the reasons I believe he is over hyped...

Reason No. 1: He Is Compared to Jordan
Everywhere he goes, he is critiqued, sensationalized, and placed on a pedestal above all others.
LeBron will never be as good as Jordan, no matter how bad the NBA (http://bleacherreport.com/nba) wants him to be.
Jordan posted career numbers of 30 points a game and 33 points a game in the playoffs. He has six championships, five MVPs, 10 All-NBA first-team selections, two gold medals, a .202 batting average, three HR, 51 RBI, 30 stolen bases, four retirements, two three-peats, over 41,000 career minutes, 1072 games played, 32,393 career points, six NBA finals MVPs, and is widely regarded as the best player to ever touch a basketball...period. He also has an NCAA championship. Something that LeBron can never achieve.
LeBron averages 27.6 PPG career-wise...and, well, let's not get into all the other logistics.
Jordan is a basketball God. So, to be better than him, you have to win championships, leading me into my next reason he won't live up to the hype.
Expectations, expectations, expectations...
In other words, When your goal is impossible it can be hard to achieve.

Reason No. 2: LeBron Will Chase the Money
If the New York Knicks (http://bleacherreport.com/new-york-knicks), Miami (http://bleacherreport.com/miami-heat) heat, New Jersey Nets (http://bleacherreport.com/new-jersey-nets), or any other sub-.500 east coast team gets LeBron in his prime. LeBron's legacy as the "Chosen One" will end there.
To be the best basketball player ever, there are some prerequisites. The number of rings happens to be one of them.

Reason No. 3: LeBron's Game Is Built around His Athleticism.
We all know LeBron is the best player the league when it comes to getting to the rim.
He does it every night. You see it, I see it, God sees it...Michael Jordan's watching it on his gold-plated Plasma screen.
How does he get to the rim? He's way quicker, bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone else.
Unfortunately, as most men know. You become less strong, quick, fast, and athletic as you age. In your 30s your muscle fibers just don't react as quickly as they did in your 20s.
So in six or seven years, you can expect LeBron to not be the player he is right now.
Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant (http://bleacherreport.com/kobe-bryant) both came into the league with a mid-range jumper and a killer, "step on their throats" instinct. LeBron's mid-range jumper is inconsistent, and his clutch play leaves much to be desired.
So unless he develops both of those attributes, he will eventually be a once was.

[himat]

Good post. I have always believed that LeBron could be one of the greatest ever if he emphasized his post game more than driving to the basket. Yes right now dribble driving is working out spectacular for him, but what Kobe and Jordan, especially, have over LeBron is a post game. And you have to remember that both Kobe and Jordan have a lighter weight 6'6 frame. LeBron is 6'9 250 pounds. He needs to post up more if he wants to be great.

[Brazil]

sorry it's a ryan virgin article from bleacherreport.

[Scola]

James is just a glorified Dominique Wilkins.

By your logic, Kobe is just a volume shooting Stackhouse/Finley.

[Donkeybong]

By your logic, Kobe is just a volume shooting Stackhouse/Finley.

love how this thread had nothing to do with kobe, but someone always brings him up.

[phxspurfan]

Reason No. 3: LeBron's Game Is Built around His Athleticism.
We all know LeBron is the best player the league when it comes to getting to the rim.
He does it every night. You see it, I see it, God sees it...Michael Jordan's watching it on his gold-plated Plasma screen.
How does he get to the rim? He's way quicker, bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone else.
Unfortunately, as most men know. You become less strong, quick, fast, and athletic as you age. In your 30s your muscle fibers just don't react as quickly as they did in your 20s.
So in six or seven years, you can expect LeBron to not be the player he is right now.
Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant (http://bleacherreport.com/kobe-bryant) both came into the league with a mid-range jumper and a killer, "step on their throats" instinct. LeBron's mid-range jumper is inconsistent, and his clutch play leaves much to be desired.
So unless he develops both of those attributes, he will eventually be a once was.

I couldn't agree more. The guy's a pompous ass and got pwned 0-4 by Team Duncan in '07. D-Wade even won a championship basically by himself and before him. I will laugh when LeBron comes down with the flu and misses a month while Jordan dropped a massive game with one.

[I. Hustle]

pppffffttttt Kobe is a rapist.

[Sportstudi]

Good article.

Additionally, I think that if Jordan didn't retire in 1993 and for a second time in 1998 his scoring averages would have been even higher. In 1993 he was just 29 and retired in his prime. in 1998 he was still able to put up 28.7 ppg with 34 years. The short stint with Washington lowered his stats quite a bit. Concerning all-around game: I remember Jordan putting up 32.5 ppg/8 rpg/8 apg and 2.9 SPG in 1988/89. That was damn impressive and I can't recall any other player to get such numbers. Yes, I know, Oscar Robertson put up 30.8/12.5/11.4 in 1961/62, but the game was much different at that time (that should NOT lower his feat, it was damn remarkable!).

[Truckules]

I tend to disagree. Players evolve. As long as Lebron can continue to improve certain facets of his game, and signs with a team whose second and third best players are better than Mo Williams and Shaq, he'll win a couple of championships and go down as one of the top 3 players of all-time. He has a reputation as a poor jump shooter, but he's shooting 44% on his jump shots this year, only 2% behind Kobe, and making close to 80% of his free throws. He's an excellent rebounder, one of the best passers in the NBA, and can defend pretty well. If Ferry could've built a decent supporting cast for him, they would've already won a championship.

[The Gemini Method]

I don't think LeBron is limited to his athleticism at all. It could be possible that he becomes like Malone did towards the end of his career--dominate down low and have a stellar midrange game. I don't think he can keep up doing the smash to the basket for all of his career, but who knows. If he continues to play like a running back who is outta control, then injuries could be an integral part on whether or not he is sustainable. I do see him winning a few championships and most definitely leaving most basketball fans in debate. I don't know, though, if he'll be better than Jordan nor do I ever believe in comparing players because that is both denying the greatness of both individuals.

[ChrisRichards]

Stupid article. Lebron has already evolved into greater heights. Just when you thought he peaked last season, he's playing at a higher level this year. Unreal.

[hitmanyr2k]

Blah blah blah. Lebron won't do this, Lebron won't do that.

Over the years it's been said Lebron didn't have a jumper. He has one now. Lebron didn't play defense. He's playing defense now. Lebron has no killer instinct, he's not clutch. Now he's one of the best clutch players in the league. The list is getting smaller and smaller so now people have to look in a freakin crystal ball and act like Ms. Cleo or something. This shit is just getting stupid now. People act like Lebron has the work ethic of Shaq :lol He's improved every single year he's been in the league and he won't be hitting 30 until 4-5 more years which is plenty of time to improve and add to his game.

[024]

Blah blah blah. Lebron won't do this, Lebron won't do that.

Over the years it's been said Lebron didn't have a jumper. He has one now. Lebron didn't play defense. He's playing defense now. Lebron has no killer instinct, he's not clutch. Now he's one of the best clutch players in the league. The list is getting smaller and smaller so now people have to look in a freakin crystal ball and act like Ms. Cleo or something. This shit is just getting stupid now. People act like Lebron has the work ethic of Shaq :lol He's improved every single year he's been in the league and he won't be hitting 30 until 4-5 more years which is plenty of time to improve and add to his game.
that's true. people also forget that jordan and kobe were one of the most athletic players of their generations. in fact, if james never existed, bryant would probably still be considered one the most athletic players in the nba. jordan and bryant adjusted and it seems that james is adjusting as well. jordan didn't really become an excellent jump shooter until his 30's. if lebron chucked 20 jump shots in the game like bryant, he would probably make 7-9 of them, which is about the percentage that bryant is shooting. james just doesn't need to because driving to the basket is way more efficient.

[Thunder Dan]

probably written by a pussy in France

[DazedAndConfused]

For all the hype Lebron still hasn't accomplished a damn thing in the playoffs.

[JoeTait75]

For all the hype Lebron still hasn't accomplished a damn thing in the playoffs.

Give me a break. Compare where the Cavaliers were from 1994-2003 to where they are now and tell me LeBron hasn't accomplished anything in the Playoffs. You know how many Playoff games Cleveland won in the ten seasons before LeBron showed up? Two. That's Playoff games, not Playoff series.

It's easy for a Lake Show fan to sit there with his frame of reference and criticize what LeBron has or hasn't done in the postseason. But you have to look at where the Cavaliers franchise was before he got here and where it is now.

[DazedAndConfused]

Give me a break. Compare where the Cavaliers were from 1994-2003 to where they are now and tell me LeBron hasn't accomplished anything in the Playoffs. You know how many Playoff games Cleveland won in the ten seasons before LeBron showed up? Two. That's Playoff games, not Playoff series.

It's easy for a Lake Show fan to sit there with his frame of reference and criticize what LeBron has or hasn't done in the postseason. But you have to look at where the Cavaliers franchise was before he got here and where it is now.

You can't call yourself King without a ring.

[JoeTait75]

You can't call yourself King without a ring.

You know what Kobe would have been had he been a rookie on the Cavaliers in 2003? An upper-middle class Tracy McGrady. Maybe.

Of course, we all know Kobe is too pussy to take on that kind of challenge. That's why he ran away from Charlotte with his skirt in the air.

[bostonguy]

You know what Kobe would have been had he been a rookie on the Cavaliers in 2003? An upper-middle class Tracy McGrady. Maybe.

Of course, we all know Kobe is too pussy to take on that kind of challenge. That's why he ran away from Charlotte with his skirt in the air.

If you think Lebron is bolting this summer, think again. I know some Cleveland fans fear he "may" leave, but I just don't see it. I also can't see Bron taking a paycut and he is an Ohio native.

[GuerillaBlack]

James is just a glorified Dominique Wilkins.

No.

James is a new and improved Ron Artest.

[mystargtr34]

That article reads like a butthurt 18 year old Lakerfan wrote it.

[Chieflion]

The only reason why LeBron James will not reach those expectations is because those expectations are lofty and ridiculous and beyond a human being's capabilities.

[daslicer]

A retareded article espescially the part about the Jordan Lebron comparisions. I don't think Lebron will ever be compared to Jordan to the degree Kobe has been throughout his career. The reason for this is because Lebron's game unlike Kobe isn't modeled after Jordan hence it makes it difficult to compare apples to oranges.

[namlook]

pppffffttttt Kobe is a rapist.

And Lebron gets raped in the playoffs. :lol