Their are many things you take with you as a grownup that you heard or learned of as a child. For instance, I remember stories of the medieval times often along the lines of the Robin Hood theme. Take from the rich and give to the poor, the uprising of a group of people against a tyranical ruler, and so on and so on. Often, you could find common themes within each fable (obviously told to younger children to find virtues and commonalities to live by), but I almost always remember the stories that include a peasant or pauper who disguises himself as someone from the royal family to either woo the affections of the princess or to bring justice for his countrymen through means of upheaval and chaos. Your probably asking yourself, "where in the hell are you going with this?" and you have a point. Bear with me. I want you to take that concept and flip it on it's ear. By that I mean, turn the story around and look at it as the King infiltrating the common folk thus removing his royalty and becoming one of the people. Now, move yourself back into the modern day. LEBRON JAMES! Yes, the 25 year old basketball stud who single handedly captured the imagination and hearts of a Rust Belt town in the Ohio River Valley. Not only had LBJ been "crowned" the next MJ for his court excellence but also for his marketability and draw potential. Now unless you live under a rock, you know that LeBron has decided to leave Cleveland for the vast beaches and bars in South Beach, with the hopes and dreams of capturing NBA titles with his buddies Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. He will earn a king's ransom through salary and endorsements and will enjoy the life where the weather stays warm and the ladies stay tan. And this is where the King strips off his robe and becomes just ordinary. There is something to be said for a legacy and obviously LeBron is not overly concerned with his own. Regardless of how many titles he wins by the time he retires, he has already tarnished his legacy by admitting that he can not do it alone. True superstars will put their team, their city on their shoulders and take them to glory. By LeBron signing with the Heat and subsequently with two other premier NBA players, he is showing us all that he lacks the inate ability to lead and be followed. I will use Michael Jordan as an example. Michael is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, capturing six titles by the time he retired and would have won a few more had he not taken a baseball sebatical. During that time, Mike played with another Hall of Famer in Scottie Pippen and some solid role players but unless your a sports degenerate like myself, I dare you to name me more than 5 players on those Bulls teams. Just try it. My point is, Michael was great because of what he accomplished with the pieces surronding him. At no time did he call up Magic, Larry, and Charles and opt to play together. Hell no! Regardless of how he felt about you, he wanted to rip your heart out and show it to you before you fell. 18 holes could wait for the off season. He had that killer instinct. That drive and desire to not only be the best but beat the best. Sure early on he ran into the roadblock that was the Detroit Pistons of the late 80's/early 90's but over time he won. He and the Bulls took on Larry's Celtics and Charles' Sixers and Dominiques Hawks and won. He didn't need to form a "Dream Team" to do so. He wanted to show you that you could roll a ball out, pick 4 guys out of the stands, and still beat you. He had that killer instinct. And that is precisely what LBJ lacks. He has shown that he lacks the drive and commitment to make those around him better, opting for the safe play, play with the best, be the best. The cowards way out. Could you imagine his legacy if he had chosen to stay with the Cavaliers and won. He would have been the man who put a downtrodden, historically poor sports city on the map with other championship caliber towns. And it would have been his team. Nobody elses. Instead, he played it safe, thus removing himself from the pantheon of winners and placing himself in the realm of just a great player. Not legendary. Isn't that what you shoot for? Legend status. At the age of 25, considered one of the 2 best players currently in the game (sorry LeBron, Kobe holds the top spot), someone capable of hoisting a region, let alone a team on his broad shoulders and leading them to victory. Instead, he took the easy way out, putting to rest any questions about his work ethic and heart and what matters most in his life. The legends table is reserved for those who arrived with not much to work with and left with the glory! LeBron, you'll sit at kids table for now. Ultimately, I find this whole situation comical. The Heat are now 8-1 favorites in Vegas to win the NBA crown next season. To that I say their are teams in Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, LA, San Antonio, Dallas, Utah, Oklahoma City, and Denver who are going to have their say as well. Those TEAMS, in my opinion, are better equipped and constructed to deal with the riggors of team play. So, best of luck to you in your endeavors. As in most fairytales, every story needs a villian!
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