Lebron James: Fake Superstar

[PSUmtj112]

I will laugh in the Heat can manipulate a Bosh for DHo trade.

[duck]

So you basically agree with me then. But you think he did not bring this attention on himself? Seriously? How about not having a nationally televised special where you proclaim your "decision" to be the start of a new NBA dynasty? If he wanted to be humble he could have gone about it a little differently wouldn't you say? He has been about as far from humble as a player can be!

Or leaving his old team in quite a pickle by making his "Decision" so late in free agency. I dunno, I have a big problem with egomania, I deal with so many people who can't get anything done because of their egos. So my distaste of Lebron hinges on his antics from the last offseason through the Finals. He is a great talent, but I wish that talent was welded to someone with a little more humility and situational awareness.

[Nastradamus]

He is a great player, I will never argue otherwise. He just doesn't have the killer instinct in him like Jordan, Kobe, Isiah, Magic, etc. I do not know if he can develop that, as I see it as a personal attribute more than anything.

I also worry about his technical skill once his physical skills diminish.

Again, Lebron has shown way too much killer instinct in his career for this to be true. He failed and he got beat. There is no question. He did not step up, dominate and take it home. Its the same bull**** that got said about Dirk even though he has always been a killer in the 4th and in the playoffs in general. Sometimes you get beat by a better team or a team that played better. Nobody even expected them to be there this year. Nobody thought they'd beat Chicago and Boston, who owned Miami in the regular season.

IMO, Lebron got beat because of skillset more than "heart". Dallas did a tremendous job taking away his driving lanes and he couldn't make jumpers and he made too many TOs. When the ball was in Wade's hand, he was tremendously ineffective as an off ball player. He seemed to lose his legs on D the last few games as well. As you said, this will have to improve, even more so as he gets older. He has already lost a step and will lose another in the next few years.

[JonBlaze]

What, greatest secondary player ever??

Let's not get silly here.

[JonBlaze]

Or leaving his old team in quite a pickle by making his "Decision" so late in free agency. I dunno, I have a big problem with egomania, I deal with so many people who can't get anything done because of their egos. So my distaste of Lebron hinges on his antics from the last offseason through the Finals. He is a great talent, but I wish that talent was welded to someone with a little more humility and situational awareness.

we all do. But you realize greatness has been predicted for Lebron since he was a soph in high school. I'm sure the fawning and what not since that age didn't do wonders for his humility and what not. Not excusing it, but I can certainly see why he is the way he is. I think it's crazy that he pretty much has lived up to the hype because that hype was huge.

[PSUmtj112]

Again, Lebron has shown way too much killer instinct in his career for this to be true. He failed and he got beat. There is no question. He did not step up, dominate and take it home. Its the same bull**** that got said about Dirk even though he has always been a killer in the 4th and in the playoffs in general. Sometimes you get beat by a better team or a team that played better. Nobody even expected them to be there this year. Nobody thought they'd beat Chicago and Boston, who owned Miami in the regular season.

IMO, Lebron got beat because of skillset more than "heart". Dallas did a tremendous job taking away his driving lanes and he couldn't make jumpers and he made too many TOs. When the ball was in Wade's hand, he was tremendously ineffective as an off ball player. He seemed to lose his legs on D the last few games as well. As you said, this will have to improve, even more so as he gets older. He has already lost a step and will lose another in the next few years.

There are different levels of greatness and a clear difference between closing out a series and closing out a final.

By winning this title, Dirk is now in the top 20 discussion.

James has to earn that, even though it has been given to him prematurely.

[JonBlaze]

I will laugh in the Heat can manipulate a Bosh for DHo trade.

I don't think Bosh was the problem to be honest. He fits the 3rd wheel role pretty well. They should have 2 teams. One that Lebron leads and one that Wade does.

[Iggloo]

So he is not a fake superstar, just a guy who doesn't want spotlight and doesn't want to be the alpha dog, unlike all those other superstars, who just wanted to blend in with the curtains and disappear?

Magic, you will recall, took over for the Lakers and PLAYED CENTER AS A ROOKIE when he was needed to lead his team to a title against a good Sixers squad. Comparing Lebron to Magic is almost as big a joke as comparing Lebron to Jordan. Magic was a fierce competitor! Lebron might be more physically gifted but to cite a football example Jeff George was more physically gifted than Tom Brady. Heart matters.

JB you are killing me....

[PatsFan2003]

To be fair, he came up big in the final minutes against Boston and Chicago but certainly not in the Maverick series. Compare that with Nowitski who completely sucked in the 1st 3 quarters of tonights game but made some big shots down the end to help win it. I wouldn't close the book on James just yet. I think it is something you learn as a player.

I'm glad the Mavericks won if Boston couldn't.

[PSUmtj112]

Let's not get silly here.

You said James needs Wade to be his closer.

How many GOAT-type players needed someone else, not in a support role...but a primary role, to truly be great?

Kobe recognized the difference when he forced Shaq out. Great players want THEIR team, THEIR moment, THEIR shots. Not someone to close for them.

[JonBlaze]

There are different levels of greatness and a clear difference between closing out a series and closing out a final.

By winning this title, Dirk is now in the top 20 discussion.

James has to earn that, even though it has been given to him prematurely.

You think one title would erase this for Lebron? I don't. It might for Dirk and he's choked a lot more in playoffs prior to this. But Lebron hate is clearly stronger than 1 title can take away!

[PSUmtj112]

I don't think Bosh was the problem to be honest. He fits the 3rd wheel role pretty well. They should have 2 teams. One that Lebron leads and one that Wade does.

They try that with their substitution patterns.

[JonBlaze]

You said James needs Wade to be his closer.

How many GOAT-type players needed someone else, not in a support role...but a primary role, to truly be great?

Kobe recognized the difference when he forced Shaq out. Great players want THEIR team, THEIR moment, THEIR shots. Not someone to close for them.

Fair enough. Like I said, James conceded this fact when he joined up with Wade IMO.

[PSUmtj112]

You think one title would erase this for Lebron? I don't. It might for Dirk and he's choked a lot more in playoffs prior to this. But Lebron hate is clearly stronger than 1 title can take away!

You can call it hate, but Lebron created his own expectations by signing with two other superstars and proclaiming the team a dynasty.

He needs multiple championships.

[Gmaniac]

This is true. Lebron has closed out games, we just like to go with the now to define someone's career. So as of now, Lebron is a loser that can't close.

C'mon now, Blaze. The NBA Finals are another level.

No one will remember the "big time closer" who only "stepped up his game" in the early rounds of the playoffs... and sometimes not even then.

LeBron looked terrible this series.

Two weeks ago he was the leader of the NBA title favorite Heat coming into his own. Sh*t happens I guess. Until he does something big in the Finals, he'll never erase this.

Is there any other way to look at it?