The NBA’s worst-kept secret: If players could have anyone on their team, it’s LeBron
You wish LeBron James was on your team, it’s the NBA’s worst-kept secret.
Make no mistake about it. While Kevin Durant may have taken the crown as the “Most Hated Player” in the NBA last season, that title still belongs to LeBron James. You would think that having led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first championship in NBA history would have appeased the league’s fan base.
Yet, as evidenced fans’ and players’ (both former and current) unwillingness to accept James as one of the top three players in NBA history (which he certainly is, at the least), how they love to root against him in the NBA Finals and the media’s growing addiction with finding the player who can take James’ crown as the best player in the league, any appeasing that was done was done in vain.
Is it because of “The Decision”? Seemingly.
However, “The Decision” should only really matter to Cavs fans and those fans — those that I know — aren’t too bothered by “The Decision” now that there’s “The Block”, “The Shot” and “The Stop”.
Is it because of his loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals? A championship series where the King’s over=thought the chess match and ended up being passive in a season where the league’s fans turned against him because of “The Decision”? Certainly.
That singular championship series (out of the eight James has been in), has been marked as a stain on his career because he failed to dominate after the arrogance he displayed in his fireworks-filled introduction to the Miami Heat. It’s also because James, who looked like he could have been the best player in the world from the time he entered the league, was passive in a way the legendary Michael Jordan would never be.
James may not care. He accomplished the very thing he set out to do in Cleveland and as a reward he won the heart of Ohio. The key to Cleveland. If defeat is motivation, that Finals performance was James’ wake-up call. The first time he truly just wasn’t good enough.
Related Story: Richard Jefferson jokes about D-Will's Finals performance
Since then, James has performed masterfully in the Finals. Averaging 30.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game in his past six Finals appearances, James has won three rings and only lost one Finals appearance when a fellow teammate averaged more than 20+ points per game (2017 NBA Finals). He’s done this while facing four NBA Finals MVPs, three NBA MVPs and two teams that could be the greatest dynasties of the millennium.
At this point in his career, James has seemingly mastered the mental part of the game. In addition, he’s become an efficient jump shooter, has retained a physique that allows him to be physically dominant (maybe the Cavs are all vampires) and he’s the best passing forward the league has ever seen.
He’s certainly not flawless but he’s close.
Off-the-court, James has become a leader amongst men and a role model for the African-American community with his charity, philanthropy, entrepreneurship and most importantly, his voice.
Yesterday, as James’ peers voted him as “The Player You Secretly Wish Is On Your Team” and the “Global Impact Player” in the NBPA’s “Players Voice Awards”, it was recognition of James’ otherworldy talents and generational stature. However, it was also recognition of The LeBron James Dilemma.
There seems to be a need for the NBA world to overlook James. Yet. he’s an omnipresent force.
He’s a player who is aging gracefully while honing his skills and knowledge AFTER it was already decided he’s one of the two best players in the league. He’s the face of the NBA because he’s a dominant player and has built himself into a dominant brand.
It’s amusing to think that players “secretly” wish James was on their team. It’s really amusing when you consider that this is the third consecutive year James won the award and that the NBPA’s inaugural award presentation was, in fact, in 2015. Three seasons.
It’s the NBA worst-kept secret.
Maybe you don’t like James. But you do respect his game. You respect it so much that even though it would probably kill you to admit it, you wish he was on your team.
Related Story: LeBron James is pumped for next season!
*Stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com