LeBron James: What LeBron's 37 Point Season Opener Says About Him and the Heat

LeBron James has everything to lose this NBA season.  His legacy, which is already tarnished, can be absolutely shattered if he doesn't perform at an MVP level this year, and his hopes of winning multiple NBA championships will vanish if he doesn't start this year by winning his first ring.

Luckily for LeBron and the Miami Heat, it looks like he has forgotten about his vanishing act in last year's NBA Finals, and has put his best foot forward to start off the 2011-12 NBA season.

Against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, LeBron dropped 37 points in 36 minutes on 57.9 percent shooting, recording his first double-double of the season by grabbing 10 rebounds.  In addition to that solid production, LeBron also recorded six assists, two steals and two blocks.  Best of all, LeBron put up that production with ease, making it look almost too simple at times.

Back on Dec. 8, I wrote an article titled, "Why the 2012 LeBron James will be the best we've ever seen", and it appears that that prediction wasn't too far off.  With his dominating Christmas day performance, LeBron proved that he is back and better than ever and that he is going to be the leader of the Heat this year.

While Dwyane Wade put up significant production to the tune of 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists, LeBron was the clear leader on the court.  LeBron was the impetus for significant Heat scoring runs, and when the Dallas Mavericks were making a mini comeback in the fourth quarter, LeBron came off the bench to put an end to it, scoring seven straight points, ultimately silencing the Mavericks' crowd.

I'm sure the debate of who the true leader of the Heat is will rage on throughout the entirety of the 2011-12 season, but LeBron clearly showed that he has what it takes to not only be the leader of the Heat, but also to be the best player on the court for the Heat night in and night out.

LeBron also put on display his new and improved post game, which was at least partially effective throughout the game.  There were times when LeBron looked horribly awkward and uncomfortable backing down Maverick's forwards Lamar Odom and Shawn Marion.  There were also times, however, when LeBron was backing down and hitting fadeaways with ease, usually in mismatch situations against Mavericks guards Delonte West and Vince Carter.

The message to take away from all of that isn't whether or not LeBron's new post game is actually relevant, but instead that at least LeBron is working on adding necessary facets to his game.  LeBron is clearly working on becoming a more complete player, and that was on display against the Mavericks.

While LeBron is becoming a more complete player, he isn't shying away from the one thing that has set him apart form other NBA players throughout his career: his ability to strong-arm and overpower defenders, and he did just that on Christmas day.

LeBron used his strength to overpower everyone that the Mavericks threw at him, getting to the rim with ease and creating separation for his mid-to-long-range jumper.

The point here is that LeBron is a different player this year.  He is more focused, more prepared and, most importantly, he is a more complete player.  While his post game isn't perfected and his long-range jumper can still use some work, the fact of the matter is that LeBron, for once in his career, is working towards becoming a better player. 

The old LeBron wouldn't have put the work in to become better; he would have just expected it to happen because he's LeBron James.  It is evident that the failure of last season, mixed with a new found maturity, has taught LeBron that becoming the best takes hard work and humility, and that is what is at the foundation of who he now is.

I know it's only one game into the season, but LeBron James made quite a statement with his performance on Christmas Day.  He showed the world that he is finally ready to live up to his potential.  He showed us that he is ready to take ownership for the success of not only himself, but also his team, the Miami Heat.

Most importantly, LeBron's Christmas Day performance showed the world that he is more mature, his game is more complete and that failure for himself and the Heat is not an option in 2011-12.  

Watch out for LeBron, D.Wade and Chris Bosh this season. They are going to be nearly impossible to stop.