How Will the Perception of LeBron James Change If the Miami Heat Fail in Year 2?

When the buzzer sounded, the Boston Celtics narrative officially took flight. They had just taken down LeBron James and the Miami Heat in a swing game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

America knew that Boston had these dazzling performances left in the tank, but perhaps not for a whole series. It was not sustainable. They were too beaten down, too broken.

By the end of Game 5, the focus should have shifted from LeBron James and the Miami Heat to these resurgent Boston Celtics. The old guard had made a stand in Miami.

Yet the pulse of the New York bar crowd looked at Boston’s triumph in a different sense. Most booed at LeBron. No surprise there. However, after the game had ended, a man in his 20s behind me roared at LeBron James on the plasma screen:

“You’ll never win a championship. That’s cause you’re a bad person.”

Granted, the soothsayer standing behind me may have had a few cocktails. In addition, I could not tell you where his loyalties lie; his hatred for LeBron could stem from the Knicks being eliminated in Round 1 or with LeBron's prediction of how many rings he'll bring to Miami, “not six, not seven, not eight.”

Nevertheless this was a knee-jerk reaction to the failures of a superstar figure.

We want the most talented to be morally incorruptible. We love Michael Jordan because he never said die. Kobe is now in Jordan’s stratosphere because he emulated Jordan. Basically, if LeBron wants to be embraced, he can’t be himself.

It works the same way in Hollywood. That’s why Don Draper takes the moral high road above his tarnished past; Jack Bauer chose the American people, winning above all else.

That mentality is shared in sport.

Not all great players are made alike. LeBron merely wanted to live in one of the liveliest cities in the world while in his 20s, to work with his friends every day, to be in the title conversation and not have to worry about Daniel Gibson hitting sidekick status every night.

The same decision goes for any one of us thinking about moving to a new city, whether it is to change jobs or leaving home for greener pastures. Our idealization of sports figures skews our view of them different how we view ourselves or our neighbors across the street.

Let’s not forget Paul Pierce sinking a dagger three then shaking his head like he knew it all along. Kevin Garnett, who looked reborn in the paint, getting ideal position and sinking 18-footers like Pop-a-Shots.

Armed with support from Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus, the Celtics out-manned and outclassed the Heat. LeBron’s support was paltry at best that night; supposed three-point marksmen Mike Miller, Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers couldn’t shoot at a high clip while Dwyane Wade only played at a high level in the fourth quarter.

At what point will the hate subside? In the social media age, it may take a while.

LeBron’s microscope will not shrink until his game deteriorates, but consecutive losses could make his name take a backseat to young NBA stars such as Kevin Durant, Rondo and Derrick Rose. With Oklahoma City already in the NBA Finals, Kevin Durant's rise could be the best possible thing to happen to LeBron's career: a step out of the limelight.

On the other hand, a few more years of failed championship runs, and eventually, LeBron could be the NBA star associated with playoff failure. We've seen those players have to scrape and claw until the pieces all fit, and it turns into a magical championship run. Sound familiar, Dirk Nowitizki?

Or James could be grouped with the Steve Nash’s and Dwight Howard’s of the world; superstars who are revered for their leadership (Nash) or gaudy impact (Howard), but have been unable to grab that elusive title.

There’s still one more game to play in Boston. Maybe another in Miami. The entire country is holding its breath to see where LeBron’s career arc turns next.