Lebron James a True Superstar
Cavs Forward Takes a Big Step as Eastern Conference Champion
Lebron James has had to overcome intense national skepticism since he was in junior high. Yet, he's been able to triumph and has emerged into one of the NBA's top stars.
Lebron James had the face of an old man and the physical build of an ox upon entering the NBA draft in 2003. He was a teenager; unable to legally drink an alcoholic beverage. Unlike many other players who had tried to make the leap from high school basketball directly to the pros, James didn't have to wait to make his splash and was the Cavs best player from day one. In his fourth NBA season, James has many supporters, but still endures just as many critics. Many believe James to be simply a freak athlete who bulls through opponents and completes thunderous dunks. However, those who truly know what they're talking about know that Lebron is anything but simple.
The Cleveland Cavaliers may have faced a brick wall in the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Championships and they may have gotten swept, but that doesn't detract from what they were able to accomplish in the playoffs this year. They held off a solid run by the veteran New Jersey Nets and overcame the pesky Detroit Pistons that had given them problems in recent years. Even though the Eastern Conference is considered much weaker than the Western Conference, the triumph is still noteworthy.
The real question is, what would the Cavs' successes be without Lebron James? It doesn't take much analysis of the Cavs' lineup to realize that without Lebron James, the team might not have made the playoffs let alone won the entire Eastern Conference. With center Zydrunas Ilgauskas' abilities waning as he ages, it's hard to imagine him playing much like the All Star he once was. Drew Gooden never posted statistics anywhere near what he's posted while in Cleveland, which suggests that Lebron James' passing ability as well as his ability to draw double teams has had a lot to do with it. A similar argument could be made for Sasha Pavlovic. Veterans Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall, who were signed to help put the Cavs over the top, have been disappointing. Larry Hughes is a solid player, but is often hurt.
The truth of it is, Lebron James spoon feeds many of his teammates. The glaring difference between James and, say, Carmelo Anthony is that Lebron makes everyone else play better and can have a major affect on a game even if he doesn't have the opportunity to score. That's evidenced by how well his teammates have play alongside him. For instance, Ronald "Flip" Murray played very well next to James, despite getting benched on a inferior team in the Seattle Supersonics. Moreover, when Murray left for the Detroit Pistons, he was ultimately benched for not being very effective. The argument is also evidenced by his role in the FIBA World Games last summer, when he played the bulk of his minutes as a point forward, distributing the ball and running the offense. Lebron James can score from the inside and outside with the best of them, but what makes him so dangerous is that even if you can manage to contain his scoring ability, he can hurt you in so many different ways.
When Kobe Bryant was as old as James is now, he frequently forced buzzer beater shots and probably missed a lot more of those shots than he made. James hit two buzzer beaters against the Washington Wizards in a playoff series in 2005-2006 to help the Cavs win the seven-game series; has hit several buzzer beaters this season; and played extremely well in the clutch during the 2006-2007 playoffs. Hopefully the critics are watching, because the argument that Lebron is not a clutch player is absurd.
The San Antonio Spurs walk away with this season's NBA title, and deservedly so. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by King James, are a team to watch in the upcoming years. If the Cavs can put the right team together to help James, look for the Cavs to win numerous championships.
