NBA Playoffs 2012: For the Love of Ringless Fingers! LeBron James, Please Win

There is no doubt how talented and athletically gifted LeBron James is. After averaging 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals per game in his senior year of high school, it was certain that the 18-year-old baller would skip college and go straight to the NBA.

James has an incredible resume not achieved by most NBA athletes. He led his high school basketball team to two consecutive Division III state titles, contributing to his team’s 27-0 record as a freshman and a 26-1 record as a sophomore.

He was selected as Mr. Basketball of Ohio and selected to the All-USA First Team for three consecutive years. He also became the MVP of the Jordan Capital Classic, the EA Sports Roundball Classic and the McDonald’s All-American Game. The amount of talent LeBron had at such a young age was just astonishing and should not go unrecognized. 

James throughout his Professional years 

In 2003, LeBron James was selected as the first pick in the NBA draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He became the youngest Cavalier to win the NBA Rookie of the Year and the youngest player ever to score 40 points in a game on March 27, 2004, when he scored 41 points against the Nets. He helped lead the Cavaliers to an 18-win improvement from the previous season.

In the 2004-2005 season, he became the youngest player in league history to be awarded All-NBA honors and again the youngest player in league history to record a triple-double not just once, but twice within four days of each other.

Without James, the Cavaliers would not have been led to three conference semifinals, one conference final and one NBA final. As a Cavalier, LeBron led every regular season in points, assists and steals, and he led in all five categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) twice in the postseason. However, he was unable to win a ring.

Keep reading to find out more about James' quest for a title.

"The Decision" That Broke James

After his contract with the Cavaliers came to an end in 2010, LeBron became a free agent and was faced with a decision. A choice that could make or break him. He had to decide which NBA team he would play for next.

LeBron made “The Decision” live on television and gained widespread publicity on several news channels. Upon James making his announcement, the media hyped up “The Decision” for weeks.

Do not think for one second that “The Decision” was all LeBron’s idea because it definitely was not. Think about the ratings, the money and the attention that that particular decision brought to television and radio stations as well.

A medley of emotions swept across the country after hearing “The Decision.” Streams of tears, screams of anger and burning of James' jerseys were just some the behaviors expressed by Cavaliers fans while the emotions down in South Beach were the exact opposite. Heat fans cheered and went crazy after finding out LeBron James would be joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. What a trio. What a dream come true.

As for basketball fans of other teams, the country is pretty much split down the middle with their opinions on LeBron James. For those fans that have followed him throughout his career, they will always be a James fan no matter what jersey he has on.

On the other side of the spectrum, many NBA fans despise LeBron James because of his decision and how he went about making it. Chicago was one of LeBron’s possible destinations, and because he did not choose to be apart of Chi-City, Bulls fans cannot stand him still to this day. LeBron haters continuously express their wants for him to “suffer” without a ring for a few more years.

Let’s be honest here. Any fan would feel blessed and honored to have LeBron James as apart of his or her team, and the fact that some fans cannot experience the finesse of his game just kills them inside.

Message to NBA fans: Quit it with the saltiness and respect the guy for his incredible skills on the court. 

James Receives Endless Criticisms from the Media

Let's shift focus from the fans to the media, shall we? 

Where do you think fans gain the access to hate on such an outstanding basketball player?

Answer: The media.

I hear harsh criticisms about James almost everyday on ESPN First Take with Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. Despite LeBron’s unbelievable talent and achievements, he is not yet credible or deserving of compliments because he has not won a championship ring.

He came close in the 2010-2011 season, but the Heat fell short to the Mavericks. Critics focused on the fact that he did not show up to the NBA Finals and continued to watch for his mistakes.

LeBron James is the most criticized NBA player. His every move, every tweet and every comment are followed closely and later talked about on ESPN. The commentary will not stop until James wins that ring. It seems as if ESPN commentators, like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, expect LeBron to sit in a corner by himself and continuously bang his head against the wall because he has not won a ring yet.

We must not forget the team he was stuck with for several years, and we must also not forget that basketball is a team sport. It takes more than one or two players to win a NBA Championship, but I think LeBron has everything he needs to win one this year.

Throughout the 2011-2012 season, the media’s focus was on LeBron’s inability to close out a game in the fourth quarter. Almost everything about LeBron James was a negative comment.

What about the fact that the Heat were down as much as 37 points to the New Jersey Nets, and LeBron scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to win the game 101-98 without his co-star Dwyane Wade?

Looks like he can close out games to me, but commentators will try desperately to dig out something negative about that performance.

Fact: LeBron James won every game that Dwyane Wade did not play in. Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers can take credit for those wins as well. But my point is, LeBron James can and will close out some games in the fourth quarter. 

Damned If He Does and Damned If He Doesn't

No matter what happens, LeBron James will be criticized about everything until he has that ring on his finger.

Commentators bash him when he misses a potential game-winning shot, but also bash him if he passes the ball for someone else to make the potential game-winning shot.

In Game 4 of the first round of playoffs against the Knicks, Dwyane Wade missed the last shot at the three-point line in his attempts to win the game. Should LeBron have taken that shot? If so, why didn't he? 

The media expressed more criticisms of LeBron James not taking the shot when the real criticisms should have been on Dwyane Wade for missing the shot. Wade may also have some trouble closing out games, but he does not get called out for it.

On ESPN's First Take, Skip Bayless believed it was Wade’s responsibility to take the last shot while Stephen A. Smith thought LeBron should have had the ball. Bayless focused more on LeBron’s history of failing to close out games as opposed to Wade missing the last shot. I would like to know though, if Dwyane Wade is the "ultimate closer," why did he miss that basket? I will bet my life that if LeBron James took that last shot and missed he would have been criticized for weeks, but not Wade.

I appreciate these commentators for addressing the fact that legendary players like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have had their fair share of missing game-winning baskets. It is a part of the game of basketball to have off nights.

This year, we have seen Kobe put up 40 points three nights in a row, and then 14 points the next night; however, it is only acceptable for Bryant and Jordan to have off nights. Why? Because they have several rings.

Again, LeBron James will not be let off the hook or be given the same privileges as Bryant and Jordan until he wins that ring.

James Deserves the Championship Ring

The pressure is all on LeBron.

I have faith that the Miami Heat will win the NBA Championship this year. It is their time. I hope LeBron carries his team to prove the media wrong and finally earn what he deserves.

LeBron was a basketball player at birth. Of course, he learned how to utilize his talent throughout years of practice, but in all seriousness, LeBron is a natural born athlete who has stunned audiences with never before seen performances.

He has proven his proficiency as a versatile basketball player from the very beginning. We cannot forget everything this man has accomplished throughout his life, including his eight NBA All-Star appearances and three MVP awards.

Mr. James is only getting started. He will become one of the best players the NBA has ever seen. If I could give LeBron one piece of advice, it would be to ignore the criticisms and stay far away from any coverage regarding him. He cannot let the gossip get to his head because it has and will continue to effect his performance on the court. Besides that, he has more than enough to win it all.

LeBron James, it is time for you to win that ring, and it is time for the media to back off already.