A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
Every time that I have turned on ESPN for the past week, I have seen more talk about LeBron’s struggles than I have seen actual analysis of the NBA Finals series.
This infatuation with LeBron is something usually only seen in Cleveland, but ESPN seemingly loves talking about nothing but LeBron’s struggles in the Finals.
During a recent press conference, LeBron James muttered the phrase “that’s retarded” under his breath, and it was picked up by his microphone. It was not a big deal at the time, but it has been all over the national and local news, especially in Cleveland. People are saying how they cannot believe that LeBron has no respect for people with mental disabilities.
First let’s all look back to 2003…
The Pistons, despite being one of the elite teams in the NBA that season, had the 2nd pick in one of the most talent-loaded drafts in history thanks to a trade with the Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies. The first pick was Lebron James and with the second pick the Pistons had their choice of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, or some 7 footer from Serbia named Darko who nobody had ever heard of. The Pistons pulled the trigger on Darko, passing up 3 of the best players in the game for a player who has not averaged over 10 points a game in his 7 NBA seasons.
Well, now Darko plays for my Minnesota Timberwolves, making an absurd 5 million a year, to do this:
Over the last 24 hours we have seen reports that LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh spent this past weekend in Miami discussing how they could split up Miami’s remaining cap room to form a seemingly indomitable superstar triumverate.
We’ve also seen reports that directly contradict this, saying that Wade wasn’t even in South Florida this past weekend.
How can this be? Well, because they are both dead wrong.
Sensing the potential for blogging arbitrage with this recent barrage of contradictory reporting by the mainstream media, I decided to dig into my own contact list and see if I could tease out something closer to the actual truth. Serendipitously, and much to even my own surprise, I was able to do just that.
And here is what I found: it is Seattle (yes, Seattle) – not Chicago, not Miami, and not New York – that has the inside track to land all three superstars.
“[Jordan's] number shouldn’t be worn by any player in the NBA,” James told TNT’s Chris Sager.
The guy’s right.
This past Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers entered American Airlines Arena to take on Dwyane Wade and Co., but not only was this a showdown of (what I believe) two of the NBA’s best players, but it also came with a little sizzle.
Whether it be Dwyane Wade smashing, destroying, dismantling, annihilating Andersen Varejao (in the new Jordan’s):
or whether it be LeBron James showing us how to finish a game, with PURE defense and clutch baskets.
Yes, this game had it all. Trash talk, stardom, everything! But, maybe the one topic that should be most talked about, came at the end of the game, with LeBron, Chris Sager, and Mo Williams listening in:
In my opinion, this is probably one of the most humble, and loyal moments EVER in NBA history.
Why? Well LeBron James is supposedly the next “big” thing (and he is living up to it), as he continues cruising by the record books, making the $$$ from Nike, and much much more.
With all of this hype, LeBron James can easily say he wants to wear 23, but he doesn’t. This shows how much the young phenom from Akron has matured. This shows how much respect a guy like LeBron has for the game, and the game’s G.O.A.T.
I’m about to say something crazy…
but Michael Jordan should be honored.
And with that said, LeBron James will end this season, whether it be with a ring or not, playing his last season with the number of 23. So many memories since his being here, but now we may see the true uprsing of LeBron. Not the legacy of 23, but a new legacy, a new legend, and a new era…
The era of number 6.
Now that my opinion is out in the air, I want to hear yours:
Should LeBron James change his number in honor of MJ?
Total Voters: 36
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* – PHOTO COURTESY: NIKELEBRON.NET
