Outside of my B-lists, I haven't found much time to write lately. That's what packing and moving and trying to settle into a place will do to a guy.
Probably won't be too long with this blog, but I figured I should get my NBA Finals blog in before deadline.
As you may have read before, here's the predictions I made before the playoffs started. For once in my life, I got a Finals prediction right, with several predictions coming in exactly as stated.
Now, about 30 minutes away from tip off, I've already read plenty of stuff about how LeBron is going to choke again, how he will never win a title, how he's not the best player in the league.
Some of this I believe to be the product of the 24/7/365 (this year, 24/7/366) news cycle that requires networks such as ESPN to have a loud opinion at all times. And as in the news, whatever bleeds, leads, so we have the negative nonsense that drips from the mouths of a-holes that ESPN dares to call analysts.
In this day and age, the target of everyone's venom is LeBron James, whose biggest crime was to make a fool of himself on national television and decided he had had enough of playing with a below average basketball team. He's such a jerk, all the $2.5 million in ad revenue that came from The Decision went to the Boys and Girls Club of America. What a dick. So as he said the words, "I'm taking my talents to South Beach", so began the unreasonable hate of LBJ, a hate that many sports fans seem to thrive in.
The energy exuded as people talk about him makes me think that LeBron killed your family and made you watch. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no, he didn't kill your family. The dude dribbles (and many times, "dribbles") and shoots basketballs for a living - not exactly stuff that people need to get all worked up about.
Yet, every time I look on Twitter, Facebook or any NBA-related programming on TV, all I ever hear about is how is LeBron going to choke this time, how LeBron sucks, how LeBron will never be Jordan, etc. I do think, at least here in Chicago, there is the constant need for us to compare the players that are considered the greatest now to Jordan, which is not fair to anyone - not Jordan, not James, not anyone. When we hear the words MVP and greatest, we don't want to believe that there will ever be another Jordan - which any reasonable person would agree is not going to happen.
In Jordan, we had a guy who hated to lose. You got the feeling that Jordan would run over his mother in the lane if she was standing there if it meant an inch closer to victory. With LeBron, you don't get that feeling. In that way, I can see a reason to shake your head at with James.
I think in all aspects of life, we should embrace and respect greatness, whether it's on a basketball court, a concert stage, or even a kitchen. Not only that, but we should want to see the great want to be great and do whatever they can to be great. We shouldn't want people to settle for mediocrity. If the most talented at their craft consistently show the urge to be great, it can be a great thing to witness.
What we saw in Game 6 with LeBron James just flat out taking over the game on the brink of elimination was a thing of beauty. If you hate the guy after a performance like that, you're suffering from a severe case of jealousy. We should want to see great. What many people have hated from LeBron is when he has looked average in the past when we know what he is capable of.
I know this is not much of a preview, but I just wanted to stress how it doesn't do us as sports fans any good if James doesn't win this year. Do you really want another year of losers like Skip Bayless saying that LeBron sucks (while touting incompletion machines like Tebow)? The annoying chatter will only get more annoying, will only take up more air time. WE. DO. NOT. WANT. THAT. If you do, you're a sadistic person and you'll get what you'll ask for.
Of course, the Heat have to earn it, which they will do if they win. The Thunder are a great team, probably a little deeper than the Heat. I don't need to get into match-ups - not really my thing anyways.
I'm banking on the Heat's experience from last year to play a role in this year's Finals. I expect a split in the first two games, Heat taking two of three at home, then taking home the crown in a great 6 game series.
I was called a Heat apologist from a friend of mine. I can see why he might think that, but in reality, all I want to do is find the Truth, which is somewhere in the middle of everyone's unnecessary hate of LBJ & the Heat and my "defending" them.
I'm no Heat fan - just a fan of folks not being dumb when it comes to criticism. If you're going to hate LeBron, hate him for his effort if he doesn't show his full display of talents. Don't hate him for some decision that 98% of us would agree is a reasonable one - leaving a fledging business to become a co-CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
For the next two weeks, I'm rooting for the Heat because I want to be able to watch the NBA next year without hearing the same narrative play out another year. Is that too much to ask?
