Growing up, I loved watching cartoons.
I was the kid who was up every saturday morning at the crack of dawn, clothed in nothing but underwear with my nose about a foot from the TV screen.
Now that you know that, and you know that most cartoons are based off of the typical "Good vs. Evil" trend, you know that I am an expert in that field.
The Good vs. Evil approach that most fans have taken with the Lebron James situation, the "Good" crowd being the ones that hate him, and the "Evil" crowd still liking him.
But with Lebron looking like he has a legitimate shot at winning a ring for the first time in his career, I felt as if I needed to evaluate the situation again, and think through my feelings on "The Decision."
Now, for length's sake, I'm going to pretend that Lebron only had two choices, to stay in Cleveland or go to Miami.
What if he had stayed in Cleveland?
Lebron in Cleveland was a perfect fit. A city that I consider small-market with a hometown hero that took over every game that he played in. Cleveland hasn't had a championship since... Well, I don't want to take my shoes off to count that high, but it has been awhile. If Lebron had somehow crowned the Cavaliers, he would have been thought of as a savior in Ohio, and in my mind would have put himself JUST behind Jordan with one Finals win.
Yes, I said it. He would have been up with Jordan. I recognize that Jordan had more rings than one hand could hold, but he had Pippen, Rodman, Paxson, etc. Lebron had... Zydrunas Ilgauskas? The thing that is even more sad than that, Cavalier management never even showed a hint of a sign in helping to get him more help. If Lebron had just ONE above average player in Cleveland with him during his tenure, I guarantee he would have had one ring by now, if not more.
But he chose the latter of the two, going to Miami
In the beginning, I lost all respect for Lebron. I banished him to the dark corner of the NBA with other players I can't stand: Chris Andersen, Tracy McGrady, and the entire Golden State Warriors squad from when they beat the Mavs in the first round a few years ago... That's all I have to say about that.
But now that I think about it, maybe I was completely wrong with Lebron. If he had stayed in Cleveland, he would have been seeking personal greatness. He would have wanted to be the best player in the game's history, and never left a doubt that he was the best player on the court.
By moving to Miami, he showed that he would rather have success with a team by trying to win championships. Although both obviously have traces of selfishness, maybe Lebron is not on as high of a pedistool as I thought he sat himself upon. Obviously, he thinks highly of himself (his twitter name is @KingJames), but I've arrived at the conclusion that the confidence is what you need to be one of the best.
I don't know if I will be able to cheer for him, as Dwyane Wade is still the only image that appears in my head when I think of the Mavericks and the NBA Finals, but I think that I will eventually be able to redeem my membership in the Lebron James Fan Club.
That's all I've got on that subject, predictions for the playoffs are...
Although I can't stand all the "Thunder Up!" tweets and shirts I see in Oklahoma, I think Durant will pull out this series against Memphis, but it will go to seven games. I have to agree with Barkley when he spoke on the situation in Oklahoma City and think that Durant should simply stand up in the locker room, look Westbrook in the eye, and say "If you, or anyone else shoot the ball without it touching my hands, I'm going to beat the mess out of you."
But unfortunately, the run ends in the conference finals. Sorry Westbrook. Kidd, Barea, and Terry make your 40 shots a game look arrogant, and the Mavs win in 5 games.
In the East, it will be the Heat and the Bulls. In a total unbiased opinion, I think that the Bulls will pull it out. I think Chicago's back court will be enough to cancel out Lebron, and Rose can cover Wade, but the real win will come out of Chicago's front court, which will expose Chris Bosh's inability to play the game of basketball. But it still will be an exciting series, with the Bulls winning in 6.
Finals
All superstition and bias aside, Mavs in 6. The guards will keep Rose in check, and Dallas has enough in the paint to keep him from driving and dishing like he has done all year. Combine that with Dirk playing out of his mind, and solid contributions from Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, and I don't think Chicago can keep up.
Up Next: What is going on with the Rangers? How to fix the AL Champions.
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