MVP, Scoring Title, DPOY, Finals MVP, NBA Champion - 2012 LeBron James returns with improved game http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...spears_lebron_james_heat_mavericks_nba_122511 DALLAS – LeBron James’ stat line of 37 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks showed just how remarkable a performance he delivered on Christmas. That the performance came against the Dallas Mavericks – the team that deprived James and the Miami Heat of last season’s title – on the day the Mavs raised their 2011 championship banner, made it even more memorable. James, however, was unmoved by the Heat’s dominating 105-94 rout of the Mavs in Sunday’s season opener. If last season taught James anything, it’s that no one cares how you start the season. It’s all about how you finish. LeBron James worked on improving his post game during the NBA's lengthy lockout. “I got a lot of work to do still,” James said matter-of-factly. “I’m just a better player than I was last year.” James is better because of what happened in last season’s NBA Finals. From the Heat’s meltdown in Game 2 until the final buzzer of the Mavs’ first title, James played passively, often choosing to float on the perimeter. After the Heat lost to the Mavs in the Finals, most of the blame was heaped on James. Further, he didn’t win over many fans or critics in his final news conference of the series. “All the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today,” James said after the Game 6 loss. “They have the same personal problems they had today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that.” James replayed the Finals loss over in his head for weeks. He was unusually quiet during the NBA’s lockout, largely staying out of the spotlight. Instead, he tried to focus on what went wrong and what he needed to do to improve. “I beat myself up on a lot of stuff,” James said. “I didn’t talk to nobody. I didn’t say nothing to anybody or do anything. I just moped around and let it sink all in until it’s time to refocus. … I’m glad I was able to get myself out of it, get back to work.” James did that by working on his midrange jump shot and post moves. He enlisted Hakeem Olajuwon, the best post player in the history of the NBA, to work with him. James also realized that shooting midrange jumpers would benefit him more than settling for 3-point shots. If he wants three-point plays, he can take the ball to the rim. “I just think he has just done a great job of being a student of the game,” teammate Dwyane Wade said. “He’s coming back this year more comfortable and more confident.” If James’ first game is any indication, his hard work has paid off. He had three offensive rebounds, 19 free-throw attempts, made a sick left-handed hook off the glass following a spin move, earned a three-point play on a post move and knocked down midrange jumpers over his shorter and less athletic defenders. And he didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer. “I can’t afford to come back and not be a better player and dwell on what happened,” James said. “It was for time for me to get better.” Said Wade: “That’s the LeBron James we want to see for 66-plus games. If we do that, we’ll be very successful.” It’s the “plus” games Wade mentioned that James will ultimately be judged on. If he focuses on his post game – and the rest of the Heat play up to their talent and experience – James should be in a good position to win his first title. “I just wasn’t myself,” James said of last season. “There was a lot going on, on the court and off the court. So, once I was able to figure the things to get better individually on the court and off the court, I was able to focus on my game and get better. “I’m happy where I am right now. It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time.” That should worry the rest of the NBA.
After "the Decision", I was worried that because he had Wade and Bosh, he'd become complacent and not reach his full potential. Sounds like last year motivated him. I'm not too worried anymore.
meh....with his talent it was sure he'll get one eventually...... how many and when remains to be seen.
The overreaction to his performance yesterday is just flat out amazing. It is not breaking news that LeBron James is a great player in fact he has had plenty of games like he had yesterday throughout his career. LeBron critics won't shut up and should not shut up until he wins a title and performs like he should in the Finals which he didnt last year. No matter what he did yesterday or what he does in the regular season this year it won't make people forget what he did or didn't do in the finals against the Mavs last year. Some people act like the performance yesterday came out of nowhere from a player who isn't known. No that performance by LeBron James is expected to happen.
You forgot ROY,CPOY,MIPOY, Coach of the Year, and GM of the Year... The man can do it all... You're all witnesses....
So I see you have returned from your self-imposed exile after your hero choked in the Finals last season.
LeBron James will win a minimum of 4 NBA World Championships thanks to the No Stats All-Star/Teflon Don.
I think Heat/Miami fans should be livid. Who we saw yesterday is who we were supposed to see all last year. We didn't get that. I personally can't stand the guy, but if that's how he plays I might actually grow to respect him. Yesterday wasn't a shock, that's just how good he can be. What angers me is that he chooses mediocrity at times. He chooses to lean on his teammates, he chooses the easy way out. Yesterday proved one thing, he can sometimes choose to win, but it still leaves a question unanswered: Will he choose to win when it matters?...
The bottom line is yesterday's performance doesn't amount to a hill of beans. More than any other team, the regular season highlights, blowouts and stat lines mean absolutely nothing to the Heat unless they win the championship. They will easily compile the best regular season record in the NBA. Then the real season starts.
He's the same age that Jordan was when MJ won his first title. On a related note, I wonder how people on this board and fans in general would have reacted to Jordan in his first couple years in the league, before the championships and the 'Like Mike' campaign. I feel like we're way more inclined these days to tear guys down than build them up, and let's be honest, by most accounts Jordan was (and still is) kind of a prick.
It would have been different because MJ never looked disinterested in those playoff losses. He lost but dude left IT ALL on the floor.
Icehouse above hit this on the head. I'll also add that LeBron winning a championship will silence a boatload of people. Also remember many cast doubt on MJ until he finally won it all. He also had detractors. Call me hopeless or silly or a fanboy, but I labeled MJ the GOAT before he won his first championship. It was the way I felt.
