“[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.
This is awesome.
Much thanks to YouTube user rairjordan and a big hat tip to the fine folks over at Mouthpiece Sports for this incredible trip down memory lane today. I loved it so much I wanted to share it with you all here at MSF.
Michael Jordan. The White Sox. The Cubs. Wrigley Field. Harry Caray. Jordan getting two hits and a couple of RBI. (Video after the jump.)
[Editor's Note: It is with great pleasure that I present to you MSF's newest contributor: Myles Berry (aka BigMB). Myles and I know eachother from my time living in Indianapolis, during which he and I engaged in many highly competitive sports debates and games of Madden. (He'll tell you that he owns a lead in the all-time series...but he's wrong.)Â Myles will be covering the Colts for sure, as well as chiming in on the sports world at large. We are happy to have him as part of the team and hope that you enjoy his work, the first example of which is below.]
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Maybe I should apologize to John Madden ahead of time, but with the turn of events in the most recent Brett Favre Saga, a question still lingers that needs to be answered.
Has Brett Farve perhaps turned what would have been a legendary career into a letdown?
We all know that many athletes have overstayed their welcome in the past. Some do it for the money, some do it for the fame and notoriety, and some do it because they love the game and can’t imagine life without it. Most likely, it’s a combination of all three reasons.
With respect to Brett Favre, let’s first take a brief look at his career with Green Bay. In sixteen years, Favre only produced one losing season, alongside his ten Pro-Bowl appearances and three MVP awards. He went 5,377 of 8,754 for 61,655 yards, and had 442 touchdowns with 286 interceptions, while winning one Super Bowl.
Fast forward to his 2008 one-year stint with The New York Jets. He led the Jets to a 9-7 record, yet another winning season, and started out in true Brett Favre fashion until the bottom fell out in the final five games of the season during which he completed 343 of 522 passes with 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. A shoulder injury was partly to blame for the decline, but many would point the finger at Favre, accusing age and his reckless style as major contributors to his and the Jets’ downfall.
On September 27, 1992, Favre was named Green Bay’s starting quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since then he has maintained a living record of 269 consecutive starts, a record whose closet challenger is Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning, who is at a distant 176 games. This accomplishment knights Favre as the NFL’s, and perhaps all of sports’, true Iron Man.
So has Favre tainted his legend with this offseason’s teeter-totter of antics and surprises? Let’s take a quick look at another sport’s most famous player, who did much of the same thing.
You may know the name Michael Jordan.
His first season with the Bulls was in 1984. Two years later, he was on his way to becoming the most dominant force in basketball. After three championships, Jordan retired in 1993, only to come back one year later. Another three-peat championship followed.Â
Then, in 2000, he announced another retirement, followed by Jordan becoming partial owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. In January of 1999, Jordan was quoted saying the he was “99.9% certain†that he would never return to the NBA hardwood again (Sound familiar?). However, in September of 2001 he returned to the NBA, playing for the team in which he had previously staked ownership. Two sub-par seasons followed, and Jordan retired again, this time permanently.
Other players have overstayed their welcomes as well.
Emmit Smith stayed around a few years to long to break the all-time NFL rushing record that was previously held by Walter Payton, a player who retired in his prime. Vinny Testaverde started NFL games well into his 40’s. Gary Payton and Karl Malone, both past their prime, joined a stacked Lakers team in an attempt to win a NBA championship.
Agree or disagree with these athletes, playing sports becomes a way of life and becomes quite difficult to give up, especially when you still have the talent to stick around.
With the 2009 NFL season looming, Favre will again suit up, this time with the Minnesota Vikings. Perhaps he will have a great season. Perhaps he will have a poor season. Maybe it will just be quite average. But one thing is for sure: he will be exciting.
Will his reputation be tarnished? Let me ask you this: When you look back at Michael Jordan’s career, do you think about the 6 championships, the scoring titles, the amazing buzzer beaters, as well as the Nike and Gatorade sponsorships? Or do you even, for one second, think about or remember one game with #23 in a Wizards Jersey?
I think you have your answer, and I have mine.
Regardless of the ensuing 2009 NFL season and its results, Brett Favre remains The Man, The Myth, and The Legend.
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* – Brett Favre with Viking photo credit: Fantasy-Info.com
* – Brett Favre young in Green Bay photo credit: The Sporting Truth
I think that instead of LOTD standing for “Link of the Day” today, that a more apt title would be “Link of the Decade.” Not only would it allow me to keep my hastily created acronym intact, but it could end up being much more appropriately descriptive of what we all witnessed last night:
The true birth of LeBron James as heir to Michael Jordan’s throne.
Obviously LeBron cannot sit up tall in the throne and own it until he backs his own greatness up with titles, but last night – for the first time – I personally looked at LeBron James and thought, “he really could be the next Michael Jordan.”
For one night, LeBron sat in the throne of the king who came before him. Now, assuming LeBron’s game-winning 3-pointer to beat the Orlando Magic in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals was just a stepping stone, the current King appears well on his way to someday occupying the same throne as the past king. I won’t yet go so far as to say that he could surpass Michael Jordan, but isn’t incredible just to be able to legitimately consider the possibility?
Shots like what you are about to see (courtesy of Robert Littal at Black Sports Online, always johnny-on-the-immediate-spot with great sports videos) are the reason such a future reality can be considered:
And isn’t it just perfectly apt that the defining moment in LeBron’s young career came against a team called the Magic? Not only is Magic Johnson one of the of the two people to whom LeBron is most compared (he is really a Magic-Jordan hybrid), but he is starting to make former Bulls fanatics like myself see the same magic quality in him that we also used to believe was possessed by Michael Jordan.
Like everyone else rooting for the Cavs last night, I thought the game was over and then leapt uncontrollably out of my seat and screamed when I saw the shot go in. More amazingly, for that split second between the time when the ball left LeBron’s hands and then rattled in, I caught myself believing that he was going to make it. Of all the testaments to LeBron’s ever-burgeoning greatness, that may be the most prodigious of all.
Unbelievable. Now, for LeBron’s game-winning shot against the Magic last night to truly have the transcendent, eternal meaning that we all believe it will have, he and the Cavs just have to go finish off the Magic. With the momentum of LeBron’s shot and the greatest player in the world on their side, there is no question in my mind that they will get it done and move onto the Finals, one step away from Cleveland’s first major sports championship since the 60s. Which reminds me of a picture we posted a few months back when all the talk of LeBron-to-New-York and LeBron-to-New-Jersey was running rampant:
He continues to lift the entire city up. Amazing.
And now you have read my best attempt to describe my feeling after watching LeBron James’ game-winner last night. Here are some other attempts from the around sports blogosphere:
Michael Jordan’s son, Marcus, is one of the best high school basketball players in the state of Illinois, if not the best. Like Yahoo Sports said, Michael Jordan celebrated another championship in Chicago, this time it was his son’s.
Jordan, a six-time champion (you all know that), was proud of his son’s performance. Marcus Jordan had 19 points as he and his Chicago Whitney Young basketball team beat Waukegan, 69-66, to win the Class 4A Championship.
As Marcus and Chicago Whitney Young was cheering, Jordan was too, in tears. Tears of joy. Jordan stood up, clapped his hands, along with some tears.
“Crying?” Jordan said to reporters, “I’m not crying. Not for me, anyway.”
Marcus Jordan was being just like his father in the game: Always making the shots. Marcus hit four-of-four free throws in the last three suspense minutes. Luckily, they sealed the win.
“Awesome,” Marcus said. “Just awesome.”
Jordan came all the way from Charlotte to his son’s championship game. It’s a good thing he did. Jordan is the co-owner of the Bobcats and the Bobcats lost that day, 108-83, like I said in my article.
MJ’s other son, Jeff, is also a star, but at the University of Illinois. Maybe Jordan might cry, deeply, if Illinois won the NCAA championship in 2009’s March Madness. But that’s impossible because they already lost to Western Kentucky, 76-72.
Hopefully on day Jordan’s sons will be just like him.
(Photo Art by Midwest Sports Fans. Click on image for full-size view.)
The biggest story in the 2008-09 NBA season has had nothing to do with the actual play on the floor. Sure, the 21-2 start by the Boston Celtics as they defend their title has been nice. Derrick Rose has given Chicago Bulls fans legitimate hope for the future of the franchise. And Mo Williams has provided a tremendous boost to the Cleveland Cavaliers offense in the Cavs’ impressive start to the season.
But the biggest story so far this year has been about 2010, and specifically the amazingly loaded free agent class that is anticipated to hit the market at that time. The headliner of the 2010 free agent class is, of course, LeBron James. And if you need a reminder of LeBron’s greatness, let’s take a quick trip back down memory lane to my favorite LeBron memory: his ridiculous playoff performance against Detroit in which he led the Cavaliers to a Gave 5 playoff win by scoring 29 of the team’s last 30 points:
Already this season, the New York Knicks have traded away players to improve their salary cap situation for 2010 while decreasing their chances of winning now, in 2008. New head coach Mike D’Anmustache basically admitted that the Knicks were looking towards the future with their moves. Other teams have followed similar tacts, making moves that are more about payroll and salary cap than improving a franchise’s immediate chances of winning.
Sure, some owners may be using the guise of positioning themselves for 2010 to save money now in response to the economic downturn in America — but no one is doubting that the primary goal of franchises like the Knicks, the Pistons, and the Nets, among others, is to have the necessary cap space to make a strong run at King James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and the other superstars who will be free agents in 2010.
A few weeks ago, when the Cavaliers visited New York, much was made in the media about the potential for a 2010 marriage between LeBron James and the Knicks. LeBron has not been bashful about proclaiming his goal of being a “global icon” and has certainly not gone out of his way to put the kibosh on the rumors of his interest in being in a bigger market like New York. Here is video of the controversial interview that LeBron James gave to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN back on November 25th:
LeBron took some heat from the likes of Charles Barkley for this interview, but since that little blurb of controversy the Cavaliers have been on a roll.
Since their November 25th meeting in New York with the Knicks, the Cavaliers have won 10 straight games — and done so in dominating fashion, winning by an average of 20.2 points. For all of those who criticized LeBron for not putting his current team first, and being too focused on the future, he has allowed his play on the court and the success of team to do the talking. This easily looks like the best team that LeBron has played with since he entered the NBA, and the Cavs and Celtics appear to be on a collision course towards the Eastern Conference Finals for a likely meeting against the Lakers in the Finals.
But how small is the window of opportunity for the Cavaliers to win an NBA title with LeBron James? Many people think it’s a done deal that he will bolt Cleveland after next season. Cleveland fans, conditioned to expect heartbreak from the Cavaliers (Jordan over Ehlo), Indians (Edgar Renteria off Jose Mesa), and Browns (too many examples to list), are already stricken with anxiety over losing the most sensational athlete to play in Cleveland since Jim Brown. And what makes LeBron James even more special and beloved is that he is a hometown kid, growing up in nearby Akron.
While Cleveland fans may be pessimistic by nature, and understandably so given their star-cross sports history, they are also fiercely loyal and passionate — and you can expect a full court press of love for their King over the next two years in an effort to convince him to stay.
One example is LeBron2010.com, where they are currently accepting donations for a billboard to be placed in Cleveland that will implore LeBron to stay home. The “Our Plea” page on LeBron2010.com includes a sobering reminder for all Cleveland sports fans:
Albert Belle: Left Cleveland.
Manny Ramirez: Left Cleveland.
Jim Thome: Left Cleveland.
The Cleveland freaking Browns: Left Cleveland.
LeBron James: ??
Another such example is a new website that just went up from the same Cleveland zealots who gave us www.cowher09.com. The site is called SaveLeBron.com, and only has 311 views as of this posting, but has not even really been officially launched. You can, however, go to Save LeBron right now and sign the petition they have started to show LeBron James how many people hope he stays in Cleveland. The picture at the top of this post was inspired by my first visit to Save LeBron, and by reading the site’s tagline: Why be an icon, when you can be a savior?
That line changed my thinking about LeBron James’ future.
I am not from Cleveland, nor am I a die-hard Cavaliers fan. I root for them peripherally, because I am more a fan of players in the NBA than any individual team and have always loved LeBron James. While I’ve always wanted to see him stay in Cleveland to fulfill the fairy tale of the local kid who leads the hometown team to great success, I’ve been of the opinion that LeBron should take his talents to a bigger market to maximize his exposure potential and fulfill his own goal of becoming a global icon.
I’m not so sure that this will actually serve his best interests anymore.
New York, LA, and Chicago are all bigger media markets than Cleveland and, on the surface, seem like they would allow LeBron James to further his personal interests much moreso than Cleveland. But what these markets do not offer is the one thing that Cleveland does: unconditional love and respect from his hometown fans that he will never be able to duplicate anywhere else, and the potential to single-handedly lift an entire city that he has called home for his entire life.
The narrative of LeBron James’ historic career will be infinitely more compelling if he stays in Cleveland and, undoubtedly, delivers multiple championships to his hometown. Should be jump for a city like New York, the narrative may get more immediate exposure — but it will be far less compelling and heart-working, and exceedingly more complicated. New York may offer more money at the end of the day, but that money comes with increased pressure and the “support” of fans who will turn their back on you in an instant if you don’t deliver multiple championships.
LeBron should ask Alex Rodriguez about playing in New York. ARod is one of the most talented and productive players in the history of baseball, but he gets no love or respect in New York. Sure, he brings it on himself somewhat by making poor PR decisions and struggling in the clutch — but I have to think that part of his struggles are created by trying to live up to the pressure created by the New York media and the mindset of the fans. It is like a vicious cycle that has chewed up and spit out many great players before, and will continue to do so in the future.
Cleveland will never treat LeBron this way, assuming he remains the upstanding, hard-working, and team-first individual he has been throughout his career. Fans in Cleveland may get frustrated at losses, but they appreciate hard work and honest effort. The expectations in New York are win at all costs; the expectations in Cleveland are play hard, give us everything you’ve got, and do everything to win — but we’ll support you as long as you show us the respect of leaving it all on the floor.
Who wouldn’t rather play in that type of environment, for their hometown fans, than being a hired gun in a cutthroat city like New York that only “loves” you if you win all the time?
Plus, the contract money will be equivalent. The NBA has a salary cap, unlike baseball, so the Knicks can’t just pony up $300 million for LeBron and blow Cleveland out of the water. Cleveland will do whatever it has to do to keep LeBron and pay him as much or more than any other team. The difference in money could ostensibly be from endorsements and exposure, and for many players I can see this being a valid argument. Johan Santana will have a lot more opportunities to make money outside of his baseball contract in New York than he did in Minnesota; but Johan Santana does not transcend baseball, he does not transcend sports.
LeBron James does. And he has the Nike machine behind. He could get infinite exposure and endorsement opportunities playing in Alaska. He may go down as one of the five best athletes in American sports history by the time his career is done. A lesser star may need the media spotlight of New York to become a global icon. All LeBron James needs to do is bring titles home to Cleveland, which he will do if he stays — and possibly begin doing even before 2010. As long as he wins and maintains his clean-cut image of success, LeBron James will remain the most popular and exposed American athlete regardless of if he’s in New York.
I have also heard rumors that LeBron has some type of ridiculous escalator clause in his contract with Nike should he end up in New York. I can see the logic on Nike’s part — but I disagree with it. LeBron can become an icon of the fickle love of New York — whose loyalty is to championships, not to LeBron — or he can lift an entire city that loves him unconditionally by staying in Cleveland. If LeBron goes to New York, he becomes one of many who stands out slightly because of his prodigious talents. But he would be just another who followed the money to New York. If he stays in Cleveland, LeBron James further separates himself from so many who came before him by choosing loyalty and home over being a mercenary for money. Global icons are created by doing things differently, by breaking new ground — not by following the formula that so many other before have followed.
Case in point, Tiger Woods has become a global icon not because he bases himself out of New York, but because he has broken new ground in his sport and won consistently. He transcends media markets and he has broken through the ceiling of exposure that was supposed to be possible for a golfer. Well, most people seem to think that there is a cap on “how big” someone can get playing in a second-tier media market like Cleveland. For most people that is probably true. Like Tiger Woods, LeBron James transcends not only his own sport but all sports; and he also transcends the purported ceiling of exposure available to himself in Cleveland.
Icons are a dime a dozen, but the opportunity to truly be a savior is rare. LeBron James is a uniquely gifted basketball player and personality who has a legitimate opportunity to be the savior of sports in his hometown. That is transcendent — and global icons are defined by the magnitude of their transcendence.
LeBron James will succeed no matter where we he plays. He will ultimately win championships no matter what city he is in. And he will continue to transcend his sport and develop a resume of accomplishments that will eventually place him among the most successful athletes of all-time. But to reach the rarified air of 
global icon that he aspires to, LeBron James needs to be different and do something different than those before him. Michael Jordan already paved the way for becoming a superstar and a global icon by winning in a top-level media market. If LeBron James goes to New York, all he can be is the next Michael Jordan.
If LeBron James stays in Cleveland, and undoubtedly becomes the savior of sports in his hometown, he will be breaking new ground and paving a new path. That is what a global icon does: something different than has been done before.
Tiger Woods is a global icon because he won consistently and was the savior of an entire sport. Michael Jordan is a global icon because he won consistently and was the savior of the NBA after the tumult of the 1970s and 1980s. Have we ever seen an athlete become a global icon because they literally became the singular savior of sports for an entire city?
Not that I can think of, and it is the reason why LeBron James should stay in Cleveland: not just because it is in the best interests of his hometown, but because it is in his own personal best interests as well.
What do you think?
Loading ...After you go and sign the petition at SaveLeBron.com and donate for the billboard at LeBron2010.com, use the comments section to give your reasons for why LeBron James should stay in Cleveland. And if you disagree, voice that opinion too. No single decision will define the future landscape of the NBA like where LeBron plays after 2010. Let’s debate it here and try to gauge what Midwest sports fans think about this issue in general.
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