Miami Heat: It's Extremely Difficult to Hate LeBron James Right Now

There are few people who would ever consider me to be one of Miami Heat forward LeBron James' biggest fans, but for those of you who can still find a way to criticize him in the wake of the Heat's Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Chicago Bulls, you're just hating.

I realize there are still plenty of fans with Ohio connections who will never again buy into the concept of James and there are even some who still cling to the ridiculous statement from misguided Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who foolishly predicted a Cleveland championship before James won one in Miami.

When the games finally began for James and his superstar teammates there were many people who doubted that Miami had the depth or overall team talent to reach the pinnacle of the NBA's mountain in their first season.

At the end of the day it all comes down to basketball. James has proven that with the right supporting cast his talent is more than enough to carry the Heat to his first career NBA championship.

Admittedly, I was one of the naysayers when it came to the Heat's chances of winning a championship in the first season of their super-team formation, but there was no question that I was well aware of what a trio of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh could accomplish with time.

I just didn't think it would happen this quick.

The Heat have benefited from a consistently strong defense, the return of forward Udonis Haslem, key plays from players such as Mike Miller. Most importantly however, from focused, determined and clutch play from James.

Dallas fans beware, because the battle between Chicago and Miami in the East Finals was a brutal, ugly defensive affair. Unless the Mavericks can conjure up some good defensive mojo of their own, they are likely to get get spirited away from the 2011 NBA Finals by the more athletic Heat.

I have heard analysts mention that the only real positional advantages Miami holds over Dallas are at the shooting guard and small forward position, but the titles do very little to define the margin of talent in the players.

Dallas has Dirk Nowitzki, who is certainly one of the top four players left in the postseason, but the only problem is the other three play for Miami, and unlike Dirk's Mavericks, they are all accustomed to playing tight, hard-nosed defense.

James is the key, because of the four elite players in the Finals series, James is clearly the one most capable of dominating from every part of the court.

Wade has averaged 23 points per game in this year's postseason, and even though he has excelled on the defensive end of the floor, his offense has been somewhat inconsistent.

Bosh has been mostly efficient and while he does have the ability to be a superstar he lacks the leadership qualities needed to carry a team.

The mere presence of a supporting cast with the talent of Wade and Bosh may have instilled the confidence in James to truly play to the measure of his talent.

Like Wade, James has been great on the defensive end of the floor, but at times his offensive game has been simply spectacular.

James' focus in the closing minutes of the Heat's Game 5 victory over the NBA's top-seeded Chicago Bulls should have erased any questions about his heart, and there should not be a single soul walking this earth that can question his talent.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose may have won the NBA's MVP award, but there was no question James was the better player in that series.

I've always known the type of player James had the potential to be because at 6'8" and 260 pounds he is one of the rare physical specimens who actually has the skill to match his superior athleticism.

It also appears that James is beginning to understand what it takes to be a complete player and he realizes that the opportunity to silence his doubters and haters is well within reach.

I'm not sure if I agree with Scottie Pippen, who recently said that James has the chance to pass Michael Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history, but if those are James' aspirations, the series against Dallas is a great place to start.