Why LeBron James Will Never Shed 'Choker' Label

No matter how many times LeBron James gives us legitimate reason to believe he's every bit as good as his three MVP awards would suggest, he'll remain a let-down of epic proportions.

The media has never been especially interested in allowing facts to get in the way of a good story.

According to the facts alone, James is far more clutch than he's given credit for. Yes, he's missed a few crucial free throws in his day. And the myth that he must take every final shot has permeated the public consciousness, no matter how absurd its underlying premise may be.

But here's another fact: there's almost nothing likable about James–or at least the character he plays on TV. Dwyane Wade may be doing his darnedest to replace James as this league's most unsympathetic personality, but that's not especially reassuring for a guy who fancies himself as his generation's Michael Jordan.

That's where the media comes in.

We need villains, and we need those villains to be imperfect. Just as the Death Star was more vulnerable than it appeared, the Miami Heat have an Achilles' heel of their own.

Of course, LeBron is anything but his team's most glaring weakness—but questioning his ability to finish with the game on the line makes for a much sexier headline than detailing the problems with Miami's half-court sets or the shortcomings of role players like Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers.

Nobody cares about Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers.

Virtually everyone, on the other hand, cares about LeBron James—even if only because they want so badly to see him fail.

LeBron may not deserve all the criticism. Most of it isn't especially accurate.

But he hasn't become a villain by accident. We're all more than entitled to dislike James—we just shouldn't forget he's the most talented basketball player on the planet.