NBA Playoffs 2012: LeBron James and Superstars Under Most Pressure
A rough NBA regular season has (mercifully) given way to what's shaping up to be a thrilling playoff run to the Finals.
Occasional cakewalks against the likes of the Charlotte Bobcats, the New Orleans Hornets and the Golden State Warriors will be replaced by the pressure of the "Win or Go Home" ethos that permeates the pursuit of postseason glory.
Pressure that these three stars will feel more than any others once the tournament tips off on Saturday.
LeBron James
The heat is back on for LeBron as the NBA's most polarizing figure seeks to secure his first ring in nine seasons as a pro.
That's an awfully long time for a man who might be the most gifted player to ever handle a basketball to go without sampling the sport's sweetest nectar.
Though, to be fair, the 27-year-old, who's likely to claim his third league MVP trophy, is still younger than Michael Jordan was when he led the Chicago Bulls to their first championship and already has the stinging experience of two failed trips to the Finals on which to fall back.
Then again, it's those shortfalls—last year's in particular—that make King James's persistent pursuit of the crown that much more intriguing. His every move, good or bad, will be framed by his perceived penchant for folding in the fourth quarter.
And if 'Bron 'Bron doesn't lead the Miami Heat to the Promised Land after coming so close last season, he can expect to see plenty of changes made to the team's roster, perhaps with Chris Bosh thrown to the trade market as a sacrifice to the basketball gods.
Rajon Rondo
Of course, if LeBron doesn't win this year, he, Bosh and Dwyane Wade are still young enough to stay in the hunt for years to come.
That may not be the case for the Boston Celtics, who figure to see their short-lived window of title contention slam shut for a while once Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen hit free agency.
Which makes this year's playoffs all the more important for Rajon Rondo.
True, Rondo is easily the youngest member of Boston's Big Four—alongside KG, Allen and Paul Pierce—and will presumably have plenty of years left to pursue excellence even after those old fogies are gone.
But, it's for those three that Rondo must be at his best. Should this C's squad win another title, it'd go down in history as one of the most successful groups in franchise history.
And, by extension, NBA history.
As for Rondo, as good and as durable as he is, there's no telling when (or if) he'll have a chance as clear as this one to wear a second ring. What's more, the closer Rondo guides the Celtics back to the top, the better his case as a bona fide cornerstone becomes.
Kobe Bryant
For Kobe, age is nothing more than a number, to which his 2011-12 season is a testament. The Black Mamba came within one 38-point performance of becoming the oldest scoring champion in NBA history, at the age of 33...in his 16th season as a pro!
Apparently, Kobe found the Fountain of Youth in Germany.
Bryant's certainly good enough and tough enough to play for another five or six years, though, realistically, he only has one or two of elite basketball left in his worn-out legs.
That, along with the impending effects of the new collective bargaining agreement, make this "Do or Die" time for the Los Angeles Lakers. They may not have the depth or the youth to keep up with the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs, but their frontcourt size, combined with Kobe's skills on the perimeter, make them a threat to sneak away with another title.
The question is, will Kobe help his own chances by passing the ball to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, or will he hurt them by jacking up errant jump shots and turning the ball over?
The answer may well determine how the twilight of Kobe's career turns out.
