LeBron-a-palooza will tell us much about the King

First appeared on July 7th, 2010
in The Lebanon Reporter

Apparently LeBron James is a free agent. I mention this now because I see it as my duty as a part time pretend sports columnist to keep you abreast of breaking news in the world of sports. And while LeBron has quickly become the Brett Favre of this summer minus the hokey jeans commercials, most of the rest of the league is awaiting his decision before attacking what is undoubtedly the greatest class of free agents the world, or at least the NBA world, has ever seen.


Like BP’s estimated totals of leaking oil in the Gulf, rumors and opinions about the future of King James are flying furiously, changing rapidly and have been by and large wildly inaccurate.

But for this part time pretend sports columnist, this entire thing is more about James the man than James the player. He’s done more than prove his worth as a player on the court. He could go all “Michael Jordan” on us and retire today to pursue a future as a hand model or professional eater and his bust would still wind up in the Hall of Fame.

What remains to be seen is what type of man LeBron truly is. He is already on record saying this move will be more about championships than money. And if you are part of the New York Knicks ownership that means you can stop reading this now. If James truly wants a championship however he will likely have to accept a lesser role than he’s accustomed to.

For those of you with degrees in history looking for a translation it would be a lot like MacArthur being relieved of his command and, those of us with history degrees, all know how well that worked out. What we’ve seen in the past is during times of adversity James maturity could only be described as “under construction” (for proof see his round 2 loss to Boston this year).

Whether it’s with Dwayne Wade in Miami or Derrick Rose in Chicago, if James final destination is truly a port of call that includes a championship banner he helps hang, that means he’ll have to set sail with a First Mate. And this is one of the few things he’s yet to do on the basketball floor.

This won’t be the first time we’ve seen big stars join forces in the NBA. It worked very well in Boston with the Big Three. But this will be different. Boston took on three players who were edging past their prime and realized their infamous “windows of opportunity” were sliding shut. In Boston’s case they found a group with the maturity necessary to share the spotlight.

When the discussion turns to James, Wade, Rose and Chris Bosh however, we’re talking about players at the top of their game. That’s what makes this all the more interesting. It’s not just, Where will James go? It’s more, Will it really result in a championship? Can two or three guys who have the world by the tail really swallow their egos long enough to do those things necessary to win a title?

There are so many factors to consider when superstars collide. Enormous questions will linger in the locker room like an aged Limburger or stubborn foot fungus. Issues like whose ridiculous “Diego Maradonna-like” demands are to be met first? Demands like taking the final shot, getting announced last during starting line-ups and having a toilet capable of serving custom ordered cappuccinos in their hotel room. Yes these are the often overlooked, yet burning, issues to consider as we watch this drama unfold.