Can't say I enjoy watching the Heat win...But it's different, and also a sign of the times. Youths today are more likely to enjoy watching the Heat than the old timers (I started watching in 1999). Same reason why people like Lady GaGa I guess...It's weird and disturbing to myself, but I can't blame the people who do enjoy it.
People tend not to enjoy watching players that they don't like win. Not enjoying watching Lebron win does not make you any less of a basketball fan but not appreciating what he has done might.
NBA is about superstars, we used to have two guys play and I enjoy watching them rather than our current Team play. I would give up our entire roster for LBJ and Wade and watching them to win a championship for us rather than three-peat the 14th pick.
I think it's funny when people around here say they don't like watching superstars, but they sure did like watching Hakeem and Drexler play.
LeBron is an amazing player. When he's facilitating and making awesome passes or catching ally oops, man he's fun to watch. But when he just takes a few steps back and then bulls into the lane for layups or hook shots/floaters off the glass, it's not too exciting to watch. Dude is just a ridiculous physical specimen, and they way he is ref'd doesn't help either. You can talk about how amazing of a player LeBron is all day long, which he is, but comparing watching him play with watching Hakeem just doesn't make much sense to me. Not just because I grew up watching Hakeem or because I am a Rockets fan, but watching Hakeem play the game of basketball was a thing of beauty. LeBron could very well go down as one of the greatest ever, he still would never take that from Hakeem. I could watch Hakeem play for hours.
How exactly is it a "glorified pickup game"? In reply to the OP: What LeBron has been doing in the post is just pure beautiful basketball. Bosh is throwing himself to the ground for loose balls like he isn't a multiple allstar. Wade has some incredible blocks and finishes. And guys like Battier, Chalmers, Cole, and James Jones are hitting huge timely shots. That's more than just a big 2. I hate Kobe Bryant more than anyone, but when he is on I could set there and watch it all day! This is flat out good basketball!