LeBron James and Dwyane Wade: Colossal Failures or Inevitable Success?
In what can be called a "Phil-Jacksonian" psychological move, Jeff Van Gundy just ratcheted up the pressure to a whole new level for the Miami Heat. According to a MiamiHerald.com report, Van Gundy said, among other bold predictions, "They will break the single-season win record. And I think they have a legit shot at the Lakers' 33-game streak, as well. And only the Lakers have even a remote shot at beating them in a playoff series. They will never lose two games in a row this year... They are unguardable. They are indefensible. They are just too good and have added so much shooting and are so versatile that they will score at will. And with Erik Spoelstra coaching, they will be in the top three defensive teams in the league, as well. The other 29 teams better hope the lockout gets moved up a year.''
For all of the Heat fans out there that actually believe Van Gundy is just being honest, and that he had no intention of heaping more pressure on the shoulders of Erik Spoelstra, you are mistaken. This statement was a well-thought out ploy to make Erik Spoelstra's life miserable for the next year. What happens if the Heat don't live up to the hype that they have created for themselves. What happens if they lose two or three straight games, don't go on a ten-plus game winning streak, or don't get near 70 wins? Who loses their job first? Spoelstra will have to grow a set of eyes in the back of his head, knowing that throughout the season, Pat Riley will be hovering over him like a vulture over a desert animal dying of starvation. Riley did the same thing to Stan Van Gundy (yes, Jeff's brother) a few years ago, when the Heat had Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, and Dwayne Wade. Riley didn't give him a fair shot to win the Championship, and fired him a year too early. Phil Jackson is probably quietly applauding Van Gundy's statements, and enjoying the growing carnival that is the Miami Heat.
The stupidity on the part of Pat Riley, LeBron James, and the Miami Heat could have, and should have been avoided. As we all now know, whoever was advising LeBron James during his free-agency period may be the biggest moron on the planet. His image outside of Miami is forever tarnished due to many poor decisions, like having all of the potential teams come to Cleveland, "The Decision," not contacting the Cavaliers earlier about his decision not to return, and the ad he took out in Akron, not Cleveland. Riley also comes across as an ego-maniacal idiot, by having that psuedo-Championship celebration when the Heat brought the big three out on stage as if they had already won something. (Or, maybe he is also trying to set up Erik Spoelstra with so much pressure that he is bound to fail, and Riley will be able to justify replacing him.) Even worse was the terrible idea that LeBron James should be given a microphone. LeBron went on to state that the Heat were going to win seven championships, despite the fact that he does not know how to actually do it himself. LeBron is that quiet guy who is 5'2" and 135 pounds, but when he is around his group of bigger and stronger friends, he begins talking trash to anyone within earshot. Chris Bosh, the biggest front-runner of them all, couldn't even get his own team into the playoffs, but he has gone on a media tour of the country, as if he owns multiple championships.
The Heat seem to love all of the attention they are receiving right now. But once the playoffs roll around, these bold predictions that they and the media have made are going to feel like the Empire State Building is sitting on their shoulders. If they don't get to the NBA Finals, their season will be an enormous let down, and the pressure the following year will only grow bigger. If they make it to the NBA Finals, and get beat by the Lakers (or another Western Conference team), some will understand, but many more will still call it a failure. The only way that they can be considered a success is if they win the Championship every year they are together.
Jeff Van Gundy is a very smart person. He knew exactly what he was doing when he made those comments, and Erik Spoelstra will probably pay the price with his job. Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra, and the Miami Heat will be colossal failures if they do not win a NBA Championship this year. If they win one this year, they will need to win at least two or three Championships to be considered successful. They have no one else to thank but themselves for these lofty expectations. Jeff Van Gundy is piling on the pressure, and is loving every minute of it.
