Random and Pointless thoughts on Lebron James heading to Miami

DISCLAIMER: I am not a Lebron-hater. I still support him and I hope he does well in Miami. As soon as I heard the news, I spontaneously wrote down my thoughts without doing any research or editing, so this note is filled with grammatical and factual errors.

I'm both excited and saddened upon hearing the news. I can't wait to watch Wade, Lebron and Bosh play together for the Heat, but I also feel for the Cavs. Here are some of my thoughts on Lebron leaving Cleveland and joining DWade in Miami.

1. Is the NBA Lebron’s Kingdom? Everyone is rolling down the red carpet when the self-proclaimed King visits. What’s next? Should they all kneel when he walks by? King James is clearly enjoying the spotlight and he wants all the praises from all his loyal subjects. The weeks leading to free agency were just ridiculous: websites such as getlebrontochicago.com, billboards in NY, music videos begging the King to stay. And then the one-hour TV special “The Decision”? Crazy. As an NBA coach commented, how long does it take for one to announce his team? I recall back in 1995, when Jordan returned to the NBA after his first retirement, he announced his decision through a press release with just two words: “I’m back.” The show that matters is what transpires on a basketball court, not on a TV interview set.

2. It’s supposed to be Superstar vs. Superstar. Lebron James vs. Dwyane Wade, not Lebron AND Dwyane. Just imagine if Bird and MJ (and Barkley as “Bosh”) played for the same team in the mid-80s. Magic’s Lakers wouldn’t probably stand a chance. But because MJ, Magic, and Bird were on different teams, they went on to be in the NBA’s list of 10 greatest players EVER. Their legacies were built because they LED their teams to multiple titles. Sure, MJ had Pippen, Larry had McHale and the Chief, and Magic had Kareem, but MJ, Larry, and Magic were the undisputed leaders of their respective teams (none of those “other guys” – Kareem included, are in MY Top10 all-time). Besides, it took years for the Bulls, Celtics, and Lakers to build their dynasties – and not just via the more convenient “get-the-best-players-available” method ala the Lakers in ’04 and the Celtics in ’07. Heroes suffer adversity before they become victorious. The Bulls were tormented by the Pistons before they won their first ring in 1991. Jordan became a superstar because of his playoff exploits (63 points as “God disguised as Michael Jordan” vs. the Celtics, “the Shot” against CLEVELAND–another ouch!), but he became a Hero when he finally overcame the “Bad Boys” from Detroit (who walked out of the arena even before the end of the 4th game after they were swept – much like Lebron refusing to shake the Magic players’ hands when the Cavs lost in ’09). The Lakers had the Celtics, and vice-versa. And with one team’s victory was the other team’s anguish. Magic won, Bird lost. Bird won, Magic lost. It’s one or the other. You become great because of the other. That’s how it’s supposed to be. One Superstar wins, the other Superstars lose. Superstars become Heroes when they conquer other superstars. Heroes become Legends when they are able to maintain that status for so many years.

LBJ and Wade, separately, by the end of their careers, could have easily made it to the top10 all-time. But with them together in the same team, I just don’t see that happening. Talent-wise, they’re clearly in the same level as the legends. Lebron could even be the most PHYSICALLY-talented (with emphasis on ‘physically’) in NBA history. And he might end up winning 4,5,6 rings with Miami, but do you think he would deserve full credit for the championships? As an NBA commentator correctly pointed out, 1 championship in Cleveland equals 3-4 championships in Miami. It’s how you earn it that matters. Even though Kobe (just one of the few things that separate Kobe from Lebron) already won 3 championships from 2000-02, that was with Shaq, and he knew it would be different if he alone LED the team. So he persevered with a mediocre team for a few seasons, ‘loved’ a girl in Denver, scored 81 points against… BOSH(!), changed jersey numbers, until eventually the Lakers were able to rebuild the team and surrounded Kobe with a decent supporting cast.

That was what was happening in Cleveland. The King was given a MORE than able supporting cast. (If MJ had Mo, Shaq, Antawn, Z, Varejao, Moon, West, Parker, Gibson etc in 1995-96, the Bulls would have gone 82-0.) The Cavs blitzed through the regular season and dazzled fans with their…ummm… hand shakes and pre-game gimmicks? But when things got rough, who was first to quit? As the Cavs owner pointed out, Lebron quit during the Celtics series, and even during the Magic series a year ago. (He even pulled out of the Slam Dunk contest even after announcing that he was joining!) Heroes should never surrender.

Had former-hero Lebron won one ring in Cleveland, it would have been legendary. Besides, when it’s all over, Lebron will always have one lesser ring than Wade. And that alone, would make Wade rank higher than LBJ. There goes your legacy, Lebron.

Bottom line is I’d rather watch LBJ and Wade compete against each other 4 times during the regular season and in the playoffs.

3. Is this the Miami Heat or the USA Senior Men’s National Basketball Team? It’s just that ridiculous: Wade, Lebron, Bosh – all in their prime. The Heat will be instant contenders, but, historically speaking, there are actually two possibilities: the Celtics in ’07 or the Lakers in ’04.

When KG and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in Boston back in 2007, the Truth was Truly the undisputed leader, and the newcomers readily acknowledged that. They quickly meshed well and went on to dominate that season. When Lebron (and Bosh) joins Wade, do you think that LBJ wants to play second-fiddle? He may have publicly stated that the Heat is Wade’s team (which is what is supposed to be, no question), but knowing the egocentric self-proclaimed King, do you think he was really sincere? In Miami, Lebron can continue calling himself the “King”, but Wade should be the Ace.

On the other hand, when Rick Fox stood out for the Lakers in 2004 – being the only non-hall-of-famer in their starting line-up, there was much anticipayton, as the Glove and the Mailman joined Kobe and Shaq. Though they reached the NBA Finals, they were demolished by the team-first, no-superstar Detroit Pistons in 5 games. Kobe and Shaq already had their issues, and adding Payton and Malone made it worse. Not even the Zen Master could handle them. I guess you can’t form a triangle with 4 points.

So, about the Heat, would they become the Celtics '07 or Lakers '04? How would they end up? Honestly, it’s hard to say, but a big part of me says it won’t be easy. They may end up winning 2 or 3 in the future, but I don’t think they’d even come out of the East next year. I know the big 3 played great together for team USA and for the East All-Stars, but those games are more free-flowing and street-basketball-esque. The playoffs are different.

4. Was this all planned way back in the 2008 Olympic games when James, Wade and Bosh really bonded together? I know this is crazytalk but I’m sensing a conspiracy. They all declared the “free agent summit” this past off-season. And they were willing to settle for slightly lower salaries just for the Heat to have enough cap space to sign the three. And when Lebron announced last year that he would be wearing jersey #6 this year, was he already expecting that #23 was not available because Pat Riley and the Heat retired that number in honor of MJ?

5. I honestly thought Lebron was joining the Bulls. I thought it was perfect. Chicago has a good young core of D.Rose, Noah, and Deng, and none of them are superstars. They had enough cap space to sign both Boozer (a former teammate) and James. Lebron would have easily fit in the lineup and they would be contenders. But Lebron would be the leader, and his legacy is safe, even if he might only end up being the second greatest Bulls player ever.

Picking New York wouldn’t have been that bad either. Lebron would have surely been the Man in NYC. And playing homecourt in basketball’s Mecca would have been great. It may take 2-3 years before they seriously contend, but at least it was a fresh start.

To me, though, staying home would have been the right choice. I always admire players who remain with one team their entire career –Bird, Magic, Havlicek, even Reggie Miller and Paul Pierce. Besides, it was really his home – were he grew up and played high school ball. And the Cavs have a very competitive team – even without LBJ. It was just a matter of time before they win.

As I said, I don’t think the Heat will win it all this year. Of course, we’ll have to see what developments happen – how Miami fills up its roster (as of now, only 1 player – Mario Chalmers – is under contract), but I do believe that other East contenders have also gotten stronger. The Celtics added former Heat big man Jermaine O’neal while the Magic signed dependable guard Chris Duhon. So it’s basically a three-way battle in the East. And if the Heat does reach the NBA Finals, Kobe and the Lakers will be waiting for them. And it will be Phil Jackson’s 3rd 3-peat!

6. Will Erik Spoelstra continue to coach the Heat? Or will Pat Riley take over just like what he did during that championship season after SVG was doing a great job? As a Filipino, I hope coach Erik will continue. At least a Pinoy will be the King’s boss. (On a totally different matter, I am P-Noy’s boss!)

7. Lastly, Lebron, Wade and Bosh, as well as Carmelo Anthony are members of NBA batch 2003, but guess who in their rookie class was first to win an NBA title.

Obviously, it’s not Lebron. It’s also not Wade, who won it in 2006.

It’s none other than Daaarkoooo Milicic!!! Lupig sila tanan. hehe