Why LeBron James May Be Right, and What He's Gambling If He's Wrong...
Everybody seems to be making a huge deal out of the fact that LeBron has volunteered to guard the scorching hot Rajon Rondo in Game 5 tonight in Cleveland.
A lot has been made (including by me) that LeBron needs to come out tonight and break the will of the Celtics with a Herculean performance. We want LeBron to show that he understands when he needs to life his already AMAZING game into the stratosphere.
The only problem with that theory is that LeBron has already done that in Game 3. Unfortunately he picked the wrong game and with the chance to turn a 2-1 lead into a 3-1 hole, the Celtics were unlikely to crawl out of the self-proclaimed chosen one threw up a bad game with 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and seven turnovers.
Now the calls have started for LeBron to defend Rondo all game, and assert his will. We as sports fans, and writers, like to get all riled up about.
Only LeBron seems calm, relaxed, even. In fact, he seemed calm last year as the Magic were knocking him out of the playoffs. He never seems to recognize when he has to step up. He also doesn't seem to realize that EVERYONE on the Cavs is looking to him to see how to play. If LeBron comes out aggressive, so will Jamison, Shaq, West, and Mo. If he comes out lethargic, so will they...
Which brings me to my point: LeBron is not like Bill Russell, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant - who live, eat, breathe, and sleep basketball and winning 24/7, 365. He's not really the kind of guy who leads by example or by intimidation. LeBron leads because he's the most likable, the best player, and the guy everyone takes their cues from. The problem is LeBron doesn't always send out the right cues. And he may never change.
Lebron is more like Shaq, which means that it's more fun for him to hang out with Jay-Z or yak on the phone with Warren Buffett. It's more interesting to LeBron to film a movie, get wined and dined, and wait during the biggest summer of his professional life, rather than make a decision on where to play right away and get back into the gym.
And what's even more obvious to me now, is that Lebron/Shaq are right. If I were young, rich, and famous, grinding through 4 am workouts like Kobe does everyday, it wouldn't seem that fun to me either. I'd rather hang out with my boys and play up to four hours of video games a day like LeBron does. Plus there's money to be made, girls to be chased, and an international empire to manage...
The reason LeBron hasn't made that leap to become a killer closer, or the guy who can slam the door on a team with a 2-1 lead, is because he's not that kind of guy. Don't get me wrong, he'll still set a million records, compile unheard of statistics, and win multiple NBA titles just like Shaq did. He'll also be regarded as one of the 10-20 greatest NBA players we've ever seen, just like Shaq. Plus, like Shaq, he'll enjoy the hell out of his 20s and early 30s make HUNDREDS of millions of dollars, and be famous almost all the way around the world. If I were in his shoes, I'd make the exact same choices.
So we can't kill him for making that choice, but he does have to wonder about the other choice. The Jordan/Kobe choice to become the best player you possibly can, consistently adding things to your game during the summer, staying in tremendous shape, and making it known that anyone who doesn't get on board with you can find the door.
Because what he won't do is reach his potential. LeBron will fail to reach OUR collective goals for what his career or life should look like. And unfortunately unlike Kobe, Russell, West, and Jordan, at the end of his career, LeBron may look back and wonder if he made the right choice.
JL
