The way people are celebrating LeBron James every success in the early rounds of these 2018 Playoffs, its almost as if he was retiring or dying. People are reveling in everything King James does and reporting on his individual accomplishments as if he was Tiger Woods playing golf against the field.
The Shadow League on Twitter
LeBron James is going Super Saiyan mode these playoffs. https://t.co/U4ZqniOwDb
While all eyes are focused on the East, the best team in the NBA still resides in the West. Golden State has made winning, dominating and performing extraterrestrial team feats so expected that fans are now spoiled with the Warriors’ greatness. Golden State hasnt really even broken a sweat in these playoffs and after Sundays 118-92 thumping of a game New Orleans Pelicans squad, it’s quite obvious that the Warriors are just chilling, waiting for the opportunity to beat the stuffing out of an Eastern Conference opponent enroute to a third NBA championship in four years. The Warriors lead 3-1 in the conference semis and are still balling in cruise control. Still working out the kinks, if you can believe.
NBA TV on Twitter
Golden State responds in Game 4 with a dominant 118-92 win behind a big-time performance from KD! #NBAPlayoffs | #DubNation
Maybe thats why LeBron is getting more love this season than he ever has. From the reconstruction of his roster to the drama surrounding the team all season, it appeared as if Cleveland was on its way to self destruction and all reports indicated that LeBron’s leaving at the end of this year.
Somehow, the man that receives more media support, fan support and referee support than any player in recent memory and has been allowed to personally select his roster for the past decade, has become the underdog.
NBA on Twitter
Every angle… of LeBron’s Game 3 Tissot Buzzer Beater! #ThisIsYourTime #NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/z4hb8IMs8V
People who hated his dominance and the way he stacked his squad when he played with D Wade and Chris Bosh and won two championships in four years in Miami — then came back to Cleveland and added Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving for another championship team — startedfeeling sorry for the King after he was thoroughly decimated by Kevin Durant in last season’s NBA Finals.
The way his team looked hopeless at the start of this season added to the sympathy.
The uncertainty of LeBron’s future is captivating to folks. The narrative that hes better than Jordan has become an addictive dispute between LeBronites, prisoners of the moment and basketball historians, independent thinkers and realists.
If this was LeBrons last year in the league, I would understand this rush to elevate him past Jordan. But with him still playing and about to advance to another Eastern Conference Finals we should reserve judgement. Noone is doing that because they know that as great as he is and as much as he is boosted past legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic and MJ and Kobe, LeBron has a snowball’s chance in Hades of defeating Golden State.
So the media and the fans blame his team. They say guys such as Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson and Kevin Love are bums. Diss them to boost up the king. Won’t be enough boosting in the world for anyone to defeat Golden State and at the end of the season the narrative will be about the depth and greatness of Steve Kerrs team and how KD has won back-to back NBA finals MVP awards — but only for a moment. As free agency gets into the swing, somehow, someway the narrative will still surround LeBron James.
