I’m not a fan of LeBron James. In fact, from The decision last summer, I don’t recall writing anything positive about him. Regardless, I feel compelled to defend LeBron. This is why.
Following the Miami Heat’s victory in Game 3 of the 2011 NBA Finals, a CBS Sports reporter (Gregg Doyel) beat LeBron in his post-game press conference. Essentially, Doyel asked LeBron why he had been shrinking in the fourth quarter during the NBA Finals. To his credit, LeBron responded professionally, stating that while he wasn’t scoring, he was contributing, especially on the defensive end. LeBron also offered Doyel this gem; “You should go back to the movie and see what I did defensively. You’ll ask me a better question tomorrow.”
Doyel (obviously) didn’t change his story after the press conference. He proceeded to publish a column titled; LeBron James: The Story of an Incredibly Fading Superstar. (Maybe we need an “It Gets Better Project” for bullied youth like Doyel. But I digress.)
Doyel argued throughout his column that LeBron James is not a superstar. That he consistently hasn’t been a factor in the most crucial moments of the NBA Finals. that no superstar is single a defensive stopper. Up to a point, Doyel is right. Michael Jordan did it on both ends of the court. So did Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Bill Russell and Kevin Garnett. But what Doyel forgets is that LeBron James is the reason the Miami Heat are in the NBA Finals to begin with.
How quickly we forget that LeBron manhandled the Boston Celtics, single-handedly closing the door on Boston’s season with a 10-0 run to close out Game 5. How quickly we forget that it was James, not Dwyane Wade, who terrified Derrick Rose in the 4th quarter Y consistently buried crucial jump shots throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. When the Heat needed a bucket, they got it from LeBron. Not Wade. How quickly we forget that LeBron is dealing with more scrutiny, backlash and outright hate than Wade and Chris Bosh combined, but he still should have won the NBA MVP award. How quickly we forget that LeBron struggled through a regular season in which he couldn’t close out a game to save his life only to become the best cold-blooded closer in the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki included. And how quickly we forget that LeBron did everything he was supposed to do in Game 3.
That’s how it is. As I sat and watched Game 3, I was genuinely surprised by what I saw: LeBron completely gave in to Wade. In Game 2, even though Wade was off, LeBron forced the shot from him as Dallas ran. As we all know, the Mavericks finally won.
Fast forward to Sunday night. LeBron balked at trying to take over the game. He knew it was not his time. It was Wade’s. Wade was rolling. He was the player to ride. So, LeBron did everything he could to facilitate and make sure the ball went past Wade. How does that make him less of a star? Would we reprimand Kobe for passing the ball low to Pau Gasol or accuse Paul Pierce of cringing because he constantly found Ray Allen open in the corner? Hello!? Isn’t this what basketball is all about?
LeBron can’t win. It’s as simple as that. Do you want to talk about the reduction in the fourth trimester? Let’s start with NBA darlings Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. I don’t see anyone kicking down doors to antagonize them in their postgame news conferences. Rose was downright horrible in the Eastern Conference Finals, ESPECIALLY when it mattered most. Kevin Durant wasn’t much better. But was he criticized for taking horrible 3-pointers and ignoring the offense at times? No sir. Russell Westbrook took the heat. Is anyone accusing Dirk of cringing after he literally wasted Game 3 and then missed the game-tying shot? No. Doing so would be foolish. So why is it acceptable to drag LeBron through the mud when he did exactly what any coach would want from his player in a similar situation?
Like I said, I really don’t like LeBron, but I refuse to wrongly criticize his game simply because I don’t agree with his personality and the way he carries himself. LeBron has been amazing in the playoffs. He, Dirk and Zach Randolph make up my top 3 (in a certain order) of the most dominant players in the 2011 NBA Playoffs.
While Wade has clearly emerged as the Heat’s best player in the NBA Finals, LeBron has emerged as the scapegoat for the cynical media. Great game, good game, bad game, win or lose; none of that matters LeBron James will continually be called a fraud. Lose. A shrinking superstar.
And to that undue ridicule…
…We are all witnesses.
