This is an unlikely choice, and yet it was a complete no-brainer in my mind. It was hotly contested amongst the staff (see podcast below), and in the end we had to call upon Smokey to cast the final vote:
What exactly is that red thing in Gilby's shirt? Anyways....
We have all done everything we can to keep LeBron James at bay. Perhaps we were afraid to believe the hype. Perhaps we resented the fact that this young man, who had still yet to complete high school, was already being dubbed as the next Michael Jordan. Whatever the reason, we set the bar higher for LeBron James than we have for any other athlete. The expectations and the path that we laid for him was treacherous and would have swallowed up many. Every time James reached a new checkpoint, we raised the bar even higher. We criticized him for not yet being a complete player, brushing aside the impressive feats that he was able to accomplish and refusing to accept youth as an exscuse. We were looking for the maturity and polish of a 10 year veteran from this kid who was barely old enough to have a beer. Nothing LeBron James did was ever good enough. We denied his accomplishments because what we wanted was perfection. No longer will we deny his greatness, at least not on this site.
When I watch LeBron this season, I think of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. In the book, Gladwell defines the Tipping Point as "the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable". We have all reached our Tipping Point with LeBron James. Not only can we no longer deny his greatness, but we can finally take what he has already achieved in his short career out of the closet and recognize what has been an unparalleled body of work. A year ago, I would have told you that there were at least 3 guys in the NBA that were better than LeBron James. Today, I believe that he is the best player in the league, bar none.
This guy has taken a team of scrubs and led then to the NBA Finals. The next year, he took that same team of scrubs (changed by a big trade, but scrubs nonetheless) and led them to 7 games against a team with three future hall of famers. The Celtics put together the greatest start in NBA history in 08-09, and that has included a 19 game winning streak. And yet, as we stand on December 31 (one day after LeBron's 24 birthday), the Celtics and Cavaliers have the same number of losses. This man is singlehandedly dominating professional basketball at a level unlike anything I can remember. He has already sealed up the MVP, an award that he should have won last year, for 2009 and we aren't even to the All Star Break.
The importance of LeBron goes beyond the hardwood. As Jordan was the first to really cash in on endorsements, King James is the face of the NBA in an era in which the league is expanding far beyond our borders. His name, his jersey, and his face, are recognized worldwide. If the NBA does decide to become an international league, it will do so with him leading the charge. If you asked me if he should be the president, I'd say no. But, I'd have to pause for about 5 seconds to think. The man is a global icon.
Babcock is protesting this decision. You will a picture of his pick, Usain Bolt, in the upper right hand corner.
1 comment:
Fastest human being EVER!
Post a Comment