I’ve been a die hard LeBron James fan since I was a 11 year old boy, I tore up my short sleeved LeBron James Cleveland Cavalier jersey after watching him get swept by the Golden State Warriors 2018. I wanted him to win that series so bad because even though Kyrie Irving was no longer in Cleveland I felt if he had taken down that high powered Golden State Warriors with that inferior supporting cast even if he would only have had 4 rings by winning that one it would have been a feat neither Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan ever accomplished in their professional NBA careers. Fast forward to this 2020-2021 season which has been filled with injuries to not only himself but his partner in crime Anthony Davis and the odds have been stacked against LeBron James more than ever. He has been doubted a ton of his times in his careers and has prevailed, coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-9 2016 Golden State Warriors and winning the 2016 NBA Championship, down 3-2 in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics in a do or die situation and scoring 45 points to help the Miami Heat prevail and also in his bouts with Paul George’s Indiana Pacers where LeBron was forced to carry a heavier work load with Chris Bosh suffering injuries through his days in Miami.
LeBron James is no stranger to adversity and right now he is facing a possible first round exit at the hands of the Phoenix Suns down 3-2 in what would be the first first round exit of his career, he has been a remarkable 14-0 in the first round of the playoffs in his career just to add. A lot of LeBron James fans use that argument over Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant fans since both took multiple first round exits in their respective careers while LeBron James took exits in later rounds of the playoffs which is why his record in the Finals looks worse than Jordan’s and Kobe’s but if we put context into it we could say LeBron was too good to lose early on in the playoffs. But others would argue the only reason he has not suffered a first round exit in his career yet is because he played in a Eastern Conference which weaker than what Jordan and Kobe had to face through their times. I frankly don’t believe there is any excuses for LeBron not to eliminate the Phoenix Suns, if he is indeed the greatest player in NBA history he should be able to carry the Lakers past this team which is in the playoffs for the first time in over 10 years even if he has to do it without Anthony Davis.
I came away disappointed with LeBrons performance Game 5 in Phoenix, I expected him to come out with a different mentality and look to impose his will on the Phoenix Suns but boy was I wrong. The Suns kept on piing up the points the 1st and 2nd quarter and LeBron just kept deferring and deferring some more even if his teammates kept misfiring on plays he would make for them. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant would have never kept deferring to their teammates if they had kept misfiring the way LeBron’s teammates were, at some point you have to take matters into your own hands and not let the lead balloon up to 20-21 points which was what LeBron allowed which got me to a point that I thought watching the second half was pointless. When I woke up in the morning to no surprise the Lakers lost in a 30 point blowout 115-85, at some point as a fan you grow tired of defending your favorite player if they don’t give it their all and I am to that point with LeBron James already. I am not ready to see LeBron lose in the first round and use the excuse that Anthony Davis wasn’t around or that health wasn’t on LeBron side either, why? Because I don’t make excuses in my own life for my shortcomings, how is it that I want victory more for LeBron than he wants it for his own self? Like they say where there is a will there is a way and I don’t feel LeBron comprehends that fully.
To conclude what is this supposed to be another season in which LeBron’s suffers defeat and the Lakers have to trade the entire team to bring over Damian Lillard to help LeBron James win another couple titles? Or maybe LeBron James puts on his superman cape and carries the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals but suffers defeat at the hands of the mighty Brooklyn Nets? This shouldn’t be about LeBron James looking to obtain yet one more superstar to be on the same playing field with Kevin Durant who is playing alongside Kyrie Irving and James Harden, it should be about defying all odds and proving to the basketball world why you are the best to ever do it and that isn’t accomplished by getting LeBron James more help which honestly doesn’t need. All Kobe Bryant needed was Pau Gasol and Shaquille O’Neal, all Michael Jordan needed was Scottie Pippen. Sure they had the complimentary pieces as well but LeBron James has all he needs just like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan did, LeBron James just needs to be great like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were to win the 2021 NBA Championship, till next time.
D-NBA 