The Los Angeles Lakers are the team that most deserve the All-Star break. They have been mediocre and inept ever since LeBron James came back from injury.
This past week has been horrible for the Lakers, here are just some of the highlights:
Even though these are all recent, ableit negative developments in the Lakers soap opera, there was one individual (Skyhook!) that defended LeBron and the Lakers recent drama. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is someone who knows a lot about basketball and the Lakers but he was wrong on this one
But first, let's start with this: LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. If he were to join the Phoenix Suns right now, they would be in playoff contention. But he has come up short in his quest to make the Lakers a team.
At least that's what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-one of the greatest Lakers of all time-is trying to refute in his latest article.
'But an effective leader
doesn’t just command his followers to victory; he is a leader who helps each of
them elevate their individual talents. He becomes the rising tide that lifts
all boats. “Leadership isn’t a one-day, two-days or two-month thing; leadership
is consistent,” he has said. “Once you get into team sports and you see how you
are succeeding, you understand it isn’t about you. In order for you to continue
to be successful, everyone has to be important and have something to do with
the success'
LeBron was never a leader. Wait, let me
take that back. LeBron was a leader when he came back to Cleveland the second
time but BY DEFAULT. He didn't have a mature Kyrie Irving to deal with and
Kevin Love had his sights set on advocating for mental health instead of
rebounding. So no real leaders in that locker room, really.
A couple of years later, Kyrie left the
Cavs in order to play for the Boston Celtics without being in LeBron's shadow.
Granted, Irving later admitted that he went
about it the wrong way and called James to apologize.
In Miami, James was carried by Dwayne Wade
and Chris Bosh so much so that even Kobe Bryant got on him when he didn't want to
take the last shot at the 2012 All-Star game. And this was an All-Star game folks!
D-Wade wanted LeBron to take the keys of
the kingdom and run with it. Wade's unselfishness is always something I will admire. Wade knew his
time was going to come and that LeBron was money. Like the great
veteran that he now is, Wade was already preparing for the future by letting
LeBron shine. James was the future and the present but often times he didn't
look like it.
That killer mentality that the Black Mamba
and Uncle Flash had, LeBron only got when he was older. He never wanted
to be the man. There were numerous times when No. 23 failed a clutch free-throw
or a jumpshot. That softness that James exhibited in the early stages of his
NBA career was daunting. That's one of the many things Kareem got wrong. LeBron
was never a leader; he was only a mere follower.
Michael Jordan on the other hand had that drive
and that confidence of being a leader and a general since his North Carolina days. His toughness on
the basketball court was never questioned. The mind of His Airness was always
in the right place. There was never a play he didn't give maximum effort
on. Even playing golf, a sport considered relaxing and fun, Jordan had to
make it a competition. And guess what? HE WON! Shocker.
Jordan also had to deal with guys like
Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen and even Steve Kerr, the coach of the defending
NBA champions Golden State Warriors, who he punched in mid-practice. These were not easy egos to please. Pippen had
always some jealousy towards Jordan and Rodman was...well, he was Rodman. MJ
was the leader of the Bulls and no one questioned his ability. Period.
Being in LA brought LeBron a perfect
opportunity to be known has a general while wearing the purple and gold. He has
got the knowledge and he has a lot of young sponges ready to absorb all those
16 years of experience in the NBA.
Although he has all of the tools, cracks are beginning to show.
Everyone knows that whenever LeBron James
plays for your team he's the GM, the Manager of Basketball Operations and the
kit man. That became crystal clear when Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson decided
to trade half of the city of Los Angeles to New Orleans in order to get Anthony
Davis. That clearly didn't sit well with the rejects in LA. Exhibit A:
For me this doesn't sit well. Like
Kobe Bryant in the later part of his career, nobody seems to want to come play
with LeBron in Los Angeles.
Paul George, a native Californian, gave up on his dream to play for the Lakers to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder and play with... RUSSELL WESTBROOK! In case you haven't noticed, there are only two players willing to play with Russ: PG and Steven Adams. That's it.
Kawhi Leonard, another player born in LA, would rather go up North and freeze his championship aspirations than play under the bright lights of the Staples Center.
This is not role model material. But Kareem disagrees:
'To inspire others is a
key trait in a cultural hero. LeBron’s sheer athleticism motivates young
players to reach for a high standard of physical preparedness. His physical
dominance isn’t just genetic luck; he is dedicated and disciplined in his
workout and diet, often rising at 5 a.m. to begin exercising, which he does
five days a week off-season, and seven days a week during the season'
The argument of the 6x NBA champions doesn't stop there. Kareem defends King James on a number of social issues also. One of them is the 'I Promise' school that James founded last year.
'LeBron helped found the
I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, for some of the city’s underprivileged
children. More than providing academics, the school will also reach out to the
students’ families to provide them resources to improve their lives economically,
emotionally and educationally. This kind of dedication to community makes him
more heroic than slamming a basketball through a hoop'
The school is financed and paid for by taxpayers dollars of Akron, Ohio. Even though the LeBron James Foundation donated $2 million for the first year of expenses, as well as the second year, taxpayers are the ones doing the heavy duty work, paying close to $8 million a year.
This notion that athletes are all of the sudden heroes just bothers me. Just because you're black and play baseball, basketball or any other sport that doesn't make you a hero. Athletes are privileged and they don't live in tough times when they are being paid $30 million a year, as much as they would like to think otherwise.
Last but certainly not least, the GOAT debate. Here's Jabbar's take on it:
'It’s a little
disappointing hearing him play this imaginary game (GOAT debate), which is akin
to asking, Which superpower is better, flying or invisibility? I get asked this
question a couple times a week, and my answer is always the same: The game has
changed so much over the years that there is no leveling rubric to take into
account the variables. So, sorry, LeBron, you’re not the GOAT because it’s a
mythological beast. It’s like asking, How big is the horn on a unicorn?'
To just not answer this basic question is just asinine. Everyone wants to create their own narrative. Is Jordan the GOAT? Is Bill Russell better? Does Ewing belong in the top 10? Was Isiah Thomas as good as they come? Everybody likes to have that discussion because its fantasy. And fantasy sells.
Of course Jordan played in a much more difficult era. No hand checking, no nothing. He had the toughest road to the Finals and when he got there it wasn't chopped liver either.
Pistons, Lakers, Suns, Celtics, Rockets, Jazz are some of the teams the Bulls faced and all of them had Hall of Famers on their roster.
Michael Jordan had a killer instinct and would compete with everybody whether he was at 100% or at 40% and didn't make any excuses. Instead of making 'I need help' remarks, Air Jordan was underpaid until the last year of his Bulls contract because he wanted the best possible teammates around him. He wasn't running from adversity he was facing it.
'The Decision' was viewed has the NBA's betrayal of the century when LeBron took his talents to South Beach to join Wade and Bosh in what would appear to be the next dynasty since Jordan's Bulls. James choked against Dallas and again against the Spurs but eventually won the hearts of the fans of the Miami Heat when he brought back two more rings. Even though what he did in Florida was admirable, LeBron orchestrated his move and he wanted to go to a team with better players around because he knew he couldn't win the big one all by himself.
Michael won basically by himself when he was with the Bulls. Yes, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman et al. were fundamental in achieving those rings but they needed Jordan to win.
Can you imagine Michael Jordan joining forces with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale when he got bounced out of the Playoffs by the Detroit Pistons? His old school mentality wouldn't allow it. LeBron did the opposite. He didn't wait for his Scottie Pippen but rather went on a shopping spree around the country.
He had merit, of course, but he took the easy way and was trying very hard to feather his nest for a fall and that fall was an NBA championship. He needed that in order to justify all the hype since he was labbeled as 'The Chosen One'.
Ultimately he accomplished that goal and won not one but three championship titles, the most important one came in 2016 when he beat the regular season, record-breaker Golden State Warriors when being 3-1 down in games in the Finals.
That's the LeBron James we know and love. Not the guy who comes up with new ways of whining about his life when he is one of the highest paid in the league.
Michael Jordan and LeBron James are not 1A and 1B. Jordan was by far the better player. He was the better defender and scorer and he didn't give up on plays like LeBron has done on a couple of occasions. Ever since he left Miami, James has been defending like Houston Rockets guard, James Harden, giving up on plays that could easily be stopped by his 270 pound frame.
All in all Jordan has got 6 rings and LeBron's got 3. Jordan has never lost a final and LeBron has already lost 5. And when push comes to shove, Michael Jordan will always win the GOAT debate. Maybe not much attention will be given to the competitive aspect and the killer mentality but rather the championships of both superstars.
James faced the most dominant team of the 21st century in the Warriors. But that's one game at the end of the season. Well in the case of LeBron it's 4 games because in the end he will get swept.
MJ didn't go south and look for a chip. He stayed where he was and elevated everybody
In the end Michael Jordan wins, like he always does.
Comments
Post a Comment