When the final tocks ticked off the clock at the American Airlines Arena, when the lights dimmed and the confetti fell, LeBron James celebrated his cemented legacy.
Sure, James was already considered the best basketball player in the world. In fact, he could’ve retired before the Finals this year and still been a lock for the Hall of Fame. Still, at times it seemed that “King” James left the castle doors open for criticism about his will to win. Now, after a monster Game 7 performance, back-to-back championships and consecutive Finals MVP awards, James has effectively silenced his critics.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that people who dislike James will shut up. On the contrary, as the championship-eating carnivore at the top of the food chain, some sports fans will loathe him because of his success.
Up until now, there were still valid questions about his will to win. One of my colleagues, a devout Heat fan, finally put into words what I’d been thinking for ages, but didn’t know how to explain. Occasionally, James’ brilliant basketball IQ works against him. He’s sometimes content to make the “right basketball play,” rather than imposing his will.
During the regular flow of the game, that’s all fine and dandy. Once the game is on the line, however, we’re all accustomed to seeing predators like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant get turnt up to a level that almost refuses to acknowledge any other acceptable play than them putting strapping their teammates to their backs and putting the game on ice.
Once upon a time, James was afraid of that responsibility. That young phenom could score 35 in the first three quarters and get shut out in the fourth when the game was on the line. It was as if he was afraid of failure and that hampered his success to a degree. However, over the past two years, James has been the man and has the hardware to prove it.
Last season, James put up 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists in Game 5 to close out the Oklahoma City Thunder. This year he dropped 37 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists in Game 7 to deny the San Antonio Spurs’ upset bid. Any way you look at it, that’s something like a boss.
Sure, there are moments, maybe even quarters, of lethargy and uninspired play, and I’ve joined in the criticism during those times. Mentally, he doesn’t seem to have the obsession to dominate his opponent like the aforementioned legends. Still, with championships on the line, James has stepped up in a major way.
As much as I criticized Gregg Popovich for giving away Game 6 with poor coaching decisions (some of which he inexplicably repeated in Game 7), the Heat earned their victory. Greatness is usually comprised of lots of skill, lots of will and a little luck.
The Heat lucked out when Danny Green returned to being Danny Green and when Popovich outsmarted himself by trying to match up to what Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was doing instead of tossing his best five on the floor and trusting his superstars to walk off the court with the trophy in hand. It burned him in Game 6 and sank him in Game 7. When he gave James an inch, he took a yard.
The scary thing about the Miami Heat team is that they won their second consecutive title without Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade playing at the levels at which we know they are capable. James is clearly in his prime and has plenty of tread left on his tires. If Wade manages to get healthy and return to form and somebody can fool Bosh into thinking he’s still playing in Toronto so he can be a consistent factor, the Heat can be a scary squad for years to come.
Suddenly, James’ ill-received boasts of “not one, not two, not three…” championships doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Instead, it’s annoyance is replaced by the background buzzing of the haters who still have the audacity to imply that King James isn’t fit for his crown.
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