I wrote the following last night - my first forray in writing for fun. Not trying to start a debate here, everyone has an opinion. I hope you read it and I hope you enjoy it. My State of Mind I Can See Clearly Now What I think is going on with LeBron James and what I hope happens on Sunday (and in Game 7?) By CLFranchise Where the heck did 2010 go? Can you find it for me? Did anything important happen? It feels like it was forever ago. How long ago did ‘Lost’ finish up? I was really disappointed with that series finale. I wonder what Evangeline Lilly is up to. We’re already half way through 2011? Did I miss anything? Will and Kate got married? SHUT UP!?! She has a hot sister?!?! Time flies… Tonight was Friday, June 10th, 2011 – you probably (and should have) just took a minute to register that (FYI…I started this at 1:42 AM Saturday and finished at 4:21 AM). You also probably spent a few minutes – or a few hours talking about LeBron James earlier tonight (/today, /during the past 24 hours, /even the past 72 hours, /heck, probably the past year or so?). My buddies and I were actually having an argument at dinner about whether or not LeBron’s head is in “the game” right now (rumor has it he is having ‘personal’ issues, which may or may not mean a Houston native slept with his significant other…wait, what?). People are saying “he is mentally checked out” – which I will admit, he has looked like for most of the Finals. People are saying “he’s not taking to the Robin role well since DWade is obviously playing like Batman” – speculation, but it did make me think about earlier in these Finals when DWade “chewed him out like a drill sergeant” – Bill Simmons’s words, not mine. People are saying “Jordan never deferred to his teammates like this” – true, can’t argue with that. The list of things people are saying online (ESPN.com, Grantland.com, sports blogs, etc.) and on TV (ESPN, ABC, etc.) goes on and on. Here are my two cents. The guy who made us all (and especially the City of Cleveland) sit through a painful hour of television on ESPN back on July 8th, 2010 – has been purposefully playing in “cruise mode” these past few games. I think during Thursday night’s Game 5 he was thinking…“Hmm, who’s really watching these games right now? We’re playing in Dallas. I’d rather turn it on when we’re back in Miami this Sunday and when more people are watching (naturally right? It’s the weekend and I’m sure more families will be watching). It will make for a better story if we win in 7 games. I’m just going to do my best Ice Cube impersonation tonight and “***** around and get a triple double.” Truth is I am just hoping he has been thinking all these things. I hope he turns it on this Sunday. I hope he flips the switch and dominates on the floor like he did to close out the series’ against Boston and Chicago. The rest of those people who are saying negative things are allowed to say negative things. Everyone has an opinion. I hope my opinion is right (for the sake of exciting Basketball the next 5-8 years and also good conversations). He’s about to go off…get ready…and if he doesn’t, he really was meant to be Robin to DWade’s Batman. Also, the Mavs must be one hell of a team and it’s unfortunate we spent the last year talking so much about LeBron and not as much about how a group of veterans and role players in Dallas (Dirk, Kidd, Terry, Chandler, Marion, Barea, etc.) just had an incredible season.
He has every ability to turn god mode and crush the Mavs, and I agree with you, it's really just up to him to turn it on or not. Even if he does do that in game 6 and 7, it shows he doesn't give a shet about basketball, it means he doesn't give it all to the fans. A great never goes cruise control in the NBA finals.
I think he's in "cruise mode" just so we all talk about it and watch more intently tomorrow and (maybe) in Game 7.
I just hope when he flips the switch from cruise to dominate mode it actually turns on. I think it was Barkley that said some of these great teams and players try to flip the switch too much and eventually when you flip it...nothing happens. I hope for his sake that his switch is still connected because I'm not going to enjoy watching the entire country tear him a new one if he does in fact screw this finals series up.
Remember guys it's not over yet. If LeBron closes out this series with 38/14/9 etc. & takes home the hardware, THE KING will get the FMVP & will go down as the GOAT. 'Nuff said.
He's not going to turn it on, because he can't. I think his problems are physical. I wouldn't be surprised if he announces he's undergoing microfracture surgery in the offseason.
In before the merge with the other 1,000 LBJ threads. But @apollo33 this is exactly correct. The same thing that p*ssed me off about the Texans last year with their brazin comebacks. It shows me that they were "capable" of a certain level of performance and were not displaying the effort to perform at that level. Secondly, LBJ has the ability most certainly to average 55 points over the final two games. Does he have the will and mental toughness?
Why do you want him to "flip on the switch"? If he does, the rest of the league won't have a chance for the championship for the next few years. Do you really want a league where 29 teams are irrelevant? Or do you want other stars begins to form two or three super teams, which definitely won't include Houston because we don't even have one star?
Teams/Players get their time to shine. We luckily had our time from '93-'95 with Hakeem. This does not mean we will not have another time somewhere in the future (hopefully the near future). Some teams and players never get their time... I think the next 2-3 (5-6?) years could be the Heat and LBJ's time. Or this year it could be the Mavs and Dirk's time. We'll see what happens. (I did have a dream this morning that the Mavs won, but I don't know if it was Game 6 or Game 7)
So LeBron embarrasses himself because he thinks more people will be watching for Game 6 and 7. This makes no sense and is too big of a risk.
WOW.... This is the ****ing NBA finals. Thats the difference between the winners mentality and the whiner's mentality. The winner doesn't give a **** about what he has to do to win, ex: jordan Honestly, no offense but you have to stop thinking about lebron in that sort of manner. I guarantee you the The one and only GOAT who was 6/6 in the finals and won all 6 finals MVPs never thought of it like that.
Lebron lovers are the worst people in sports. The kill basketball of the past and make it worse for everybody. The dude is an athletic freak that will not be a top 10 player in the NBA in 3 years.
If he gets 4 I'll put him in the conversation for goat. He has raw talent, but so does McGrady. Talent, charisma, and even close calls are not enough to crown him King just yet.
