After the Apocalypse known as "The Decision," I didn't think I would ever be able to support anything LeBron James did again. Ever. But last night, in fewer than 140 characters, LeBron singlehandedly swung my back to his side. For those who don't know, the Cavaliers lost to the Lakers last night by 55, and that didn't even begin to tell the tale. By the third quarter the Lakers were just messing around with the Cavs, throwing behind the back passes and alley-oops off the backboard. It was embarrassing, at best. After the game, LeBron posted this on his Twitter account:
"Crazy. Karma is a b****.. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"
The God stuff aside (he's too busy watching
Stevie Johnson's Tweets right now to pay any attention),
this is an
amazing piece if work by Mr. James. He has finally embraced the fact that he and the rest of the Miami Heat are villains. Mercifully, he cut the "why does everybody hate us?" act and has gone into full-blown attack mode. He is by far the most talented basketball player in the world, and it seems like starting with the game in Cleveland where he simply eviscerated the Cavs in a viciously hostile Q, he has finally started to tap into his angry side. It brought out the best in guys like Jordan and Bird, who used slights both real and perceived as fuel to go out and humiliate opponents. However, both of those guys were beloved because of their killer instincts; it seemed, too, that LeBron wanted this same kind of adulation. However, by taunting the already jilted Cleveland organization and fans, he has taken a decidedly different approach.
In what will go down as the single greatest heel turn (to borrow professional wrestling terminology) since
Hulk Hogan joined the nWo, LeBron's decision to leave the Cavaliers made perfect sense if you consider the key differences between Miami and Cleveland (Beaches vs. Flaming River, Winter vs. No Winter, etc.) and the opportunity he had to play with his friends. Many just took issue with how he handled the event itself and the ensuing backlash. However, between the
Nike ad, his post-game remarks
after the Cleveland beat-down, and now this Tweet, it seems like LeBron had come to grips with his new role in the basketball world. He is embracing, for once, who he is. He doesn't care that some people may despise him for it, he's moved on. Rather than resist the idea that people don't like him, he's taken the ultimate step in the other direction- he has effectively said "I don't care what you think," and (to this point) has backed it up on the court. I may not like his decision to publicly spurn poor Cleveland, or the way he carries himself, but I cannot help but appreciate him as a fan who is simply tired of the same old cliches spat out by star players in every single interview. It is so refreshing to see someone bark back when someone else
lashes out at them publicly, as Dan Gilbert did.
For the first time in his career, LeBron is taking ownership of himself and of his team. For once, he doesn't care what you or I think. Weirdly, this is probably the greatest example of him being a leader on his team. He has set the example for the rest of them, so when they enter hostile arenas (especially in the playoffs) they will feed off of the energy rather than be intimidated by it, as it seemed they were during the season opener in Boston. Celtics fans should now be
very afraid of a healthy Miami Heat, which could not be said a month ago. LeBron the self-actualized bad guy is well on his way to getting just the thing he left Cleveland for in the first place: a championship.
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