This LBJ didn't make any promises about Vietnam. Instead, the basketball version declared that he would win "not 5, not 6, not 7..." NBA titles. In their own ways, both Lyndon Johnson & LeBron James would find ways to vilify themselves with their own words.
One down, "not 6" to go for LBJ Jr. to live up to his words. His team did what many thought they were capable of, but were unlikely to do, at least this time around against a talented Oklahoma City Thunder squad that features some of the best collection of young talent that the NBA has seen in quite some time.
I thought the Heat would win based on their experience from last year, but I didn't think they would completely dismantle the Thunder. Outside of a poor second half in Game 1 and poor 1st quarter in Game 4, the Heat destroyed the Thunder on both ends of the floor. LeBron showed what happens when the most talented player in the NBA puts forth maximum effort to achieve his goal. It's a scary thought for NBA teams who have to face him in the next 6-7 years.
Below are 7 (not 5, not 6) thoughts concerning the Heat as to where they stand now and looking forward to what could be a prolonged run of championships for the most hated squad in the NBA.
7. The Eastern Conference looks like a cakewalk for the foreseeable future. I know most Bulls fans would disagree, but I think last year was their best chance in the Miami/LeBron era to make it to the Finals. Outside of Rose, the Bulls have no legit scorer that can create his own shot. Over the course of history, the NBA has shown itself to be a sport where you need at least 2 of the top 10/20 talents on a team to win titles. If they don't land a big fish like Dwight Howard, I don't think they can reasonably beat the Heat in the near future. I think the Bulls have maximized their talents in each of the last two regular seasons. Even if Rose comes back mid-season next year, I don't think he'll be all that sharp.
The Pacers are a team on the rise, but outside of Granger, they don't have a complimentary superstar (although Roy Hibbert is developing into a solid player). The Celtics' realistic window for title shots was 2008-2010. The Knicks may have the best shot of rising from the ashes outside of these teams in the East, but that may be a stretch.
If you look at it objectively, it could be easy to see the Heat winning the East for the next 4-5 years if the teams above don't make major roster moves.
6. They should consider moving Dwyane Wade. I read this online earlier, and it made some sense. With how reckless and physical Wade has played in his 9 year career, his body has taken more of a toll than most of the same length career. In addition to missing 17 games this year due to injury, Wade has also missed significant time (20+ games in a year) in three other years due to injury. Wade's numbers don't show it yet, but I think there could be some value in trading him to get more depth, especially while he has some miles on the treads.
5. No matter how many titles they win, Coach Erik Spoelstra will never get any credit. There aren't too many coaches who could go under the radar or get as little of the team's credit as Spoelstra has. Many people (perhaps idiots) speculated that he would be canned if they didn't win a title this year. I don't know a whole bunch about him other than his unusual rise up the ladder from video editor to coach. I know Pat Riley loves the guy - not sure how unconditional that love would be if they fell short again though. This buys Spoelstra at least another two years - of which I believe the Heat to win at least one championship in that time (possibly both). I'm not sure if it's fair that he doesn't get much credit, but he should get some.
4. LeBron needs to stay hungry and continue to play with a chip on his shoulder. Look at what happened with Dallas this year. Dirk was so out of shape that his coaches recommended that he take time off during the season to get back into shape. I'm not sure if he didn't think there would be a season or what, but the way he entered this year gave people the impression that one title was enough for him. I definitely don't see LeBron having the same problem in terms of entering the 2012-13 season with a beer belly, but I do think he needs to find a way to avoid the post-first-title hangover that seemed to accompany Nowitzki. Look at how LBJ played in this year's playoffs - he took his game to a level that wasn't surprising given his talents, but surprised people given his recent bad fortune in the playoffs. It goes to show how talented LBJ is that "bad fortune" in your career means making it to 2 NBA Finals & a conference final before the age of 27. If he can stay hungry and not get a hangover, I believe the Heat (including this year) will win 4 or 5 out of the next 6 titles.
3. Outside of themselves, the biggest obstacle to a prolonged NBA title run for the Heat will be the Thunder. I believe that the Thunder will remain the best in the west for the next 3-4 years, presuming they keep their core of Durant, Westbrook & Ibaka (I think Harden will sign elsewhere for a max contract). It will be nearly impossible for the Thunder to maintain their current collection of talent given potential salary cap problems. To those who know basketball, superstars like Durant rarely win at a young age - it usually takes one or two lumps to the forehead to know what it takes to win the title. I do think Durant will win one or two titles in his career, but I think it may not be for a few more years.
2. The Heat winning the title was good for the NBA. My friend Nick said he will continue to hate the Heat much like he hates the Yankees. I bet if you polled 100 random sports fans who their least favorite team in NBA/MLB was, the Heat and Yankees would be the frontrunners to win those titles. Think - what did it take for everyone to hate the Yankees so much? The answer: titles...and lots of 'em. If the Yankees currently had as many titles as the Cubs, do you think people would hate them as much? Sports fans tend to hate teams that have prolonged runs of success. People hated the Heat before they won anything, so you can only imagine now how much more they will hate the Heat if they go on a Bulls-like 6-of-8 run here. I believe this hate for the Heat will equal ratings gold for the NBA.
Unlike MJ, whose commercial appeal defined him more than his selfish, asshole attitude, LeBron doesn't have the same appeal with the mainstream media. I don't know if it's people still holding that bad 48-hour stretch of hosting a primetime show to declare where he was taking his talents and then stating how many titles he was going to win against him, but LeBron has taken the most shit from haters in the Twitter era of basketball. I think MJ should be lucky he didn't play in this social media era, because his attitude and personality would have gotten more exposure than it did back in the day, where it seemed like folks in the media were afraid to call out MJ on his discretions off the court.
1. My prediction: by the end of his career, LeBron will have as many titles as Jordan. While they won their first titles at the same age, LeBron also had a few more seasons underneath his belt. Both needed the help of other Hall of Fame/All-Star quality people around him to win it all (LBJ has Wade & Bosh, MJ had Pippen & Phil Jackson). Both needed to overcome the "so close, yet so far" feeling - LeBron losing to the Spurs & Mavs in separate NBA Finals, MJ being dominated by the Pistons for that three year stretch.
Once MJ got going, the only thing that really stopped him was his first brief retirement, which some conspiracy folks believe was a suspension for his gambling ways. In his last 6 full seasons with the Bulls, Jordan led them to titles, including setting a record for most wins in a year with 72 in 1995-96. I don't know if LeBron (or anyone) will ever beat this record, but I do believe LeBron, if surrounded with the right talent, can start a similar title run.
I know living in Chicago, we have the idea in our heads that MJ won these titles by himself - he didn't. Every superstar needs some semblance of talent around him to succeed on the biggest stage. I think the core of LBJ & Bosh (assuming my scenario above plays out and Wade ends up getting traded) would be as good of a starting point as anybody in the NBA for a prolonged run of titles.
Much of this stuff above is opinion and speculation, so feel free to dissect it. I'm not always the best when it comes to predicting what will happen.
All I know is, whether you hate the Heat or not, you better be ready to see them in the last two series of the NBA playoffs every year for a while.
