Re: the official Dwayne Wade >>> you thread

[Le Samourai]

LeBron James Is Wasting His Talents in South Beach


It’s 2007. The Cavs have just gone up 3-2 against the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James has just carried his team to the brink of the NBA Finals. The dude just scored the last 25 points for his team. He had 48 for the game, a franchise playoff record.

At this point LeBron has cemented himself as the next big thing. Many think he’s the Michael Jordan of his generation. If this guy continues to work at it, he’ll be unstoppable.

A few days later, the Cavs are in the NBA Finals. LeBron has done the unthinkable. He has carried a team starting Daniel Gibson, Drew Gooden and Sasha Pavlovic to the finals. He’s taken the worst collection of overall team talent to the finals since Allen Iverson.

A couple weeks later the Cavs are swept by a far superior and more experienced San Antonio team. No one faulted LeBron for the loss. They were completely outmatched.

The next season LeBron was dominant. He worked his tail off. Once again he was carrying an inferior team. In the playoffs, James got his team to Game 7 against the Celtics. He scored 45 points. Despite his valiant effort, the better team won.

Losing to the eventual champs again could be seen as a tough pill to swallow. But the great ones strap it up and come back harder. It appeared LeBron was one of the greats.

It turns out this series was the turning point of LeBron’s career.

The relentless attacker, the never say never player everyone loved...suddenly disappeared facing adversity.

The next year the Cavs had their greatest season ever. They were the top seed in the East, and it was all set up for LeBron to avenge the last couple of years and return to the Finals.

In the conference finals, LeBron and the Cavs disintegrated against the Orlando Magic. LeBron made the first of what would be a trilogy of failures at the end of games in Game 4. The Cavs were dismissed a game later.

After the game, LeBron abandoned his teammates and left the court instead of taking his medicine and shaking hands with the victors.

It was the first overtly obvious sign of a different person, a different attitude—a sign of someone who thought he was above it all. Suddenly the king was acting like a petulant child.

The next season the Cavs once again cruised through the regular season. Then in the second round, LeBron had a chance to avenge that Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics.

What happened next stunned the basketball world.

Instead of rising to the occasion and having the willpower to run through a wall for his team like he showed earlier in his postseason career, LeBron mentally checked out.


Elsa/Getty Images
The once beloved James was booed off his home court after an embarrassing 120-88 loss in Game 5. His team was finished off a game later.

LeBron then ratcheted up the heat to another level: He took his talents to South Beach.

The whole Decision conference just felt wrong.

Not the fact that he left Cleveland. I would have done that, especially if I grew up in nearby Akron and felt like Clevelanders always looked down on people from my neighborhood.

But superstars, wanting to make their own mark on the league, just don’t run into the arms of another accomplished superstar.

People said he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were close friends and wanted to play together and be the force of the league for the foreseeable future. Others felt LeBron was tired of carrying a bunch of bums. In retrospect, neither was the case.

In reality, LeBron’s decision was made after that great Game 7 against the Celtics in 2008. The guy who gave everything to his team and didn’t win the ring evaluated his situation, and he decided:

I don’t want to work this hard. Why bother?


This is why he went to Miami. He figured if he joined Wade and Bosh, he’d get the glory without the guts.

The victory parade the Heat threw before playing a game put this attitude on a pedestal.

Fast-forward to now. The most talented player in the NBA, being guarded at times by 38-year-old Jason Kidd, averaged three points a game in the fourth quarter of the Finals. The same guy who once scored 25 straight points in crunch time didn’t score 25 for the series when it mattered.

LeBron James vanished. Just like he vanished from his teammates after the Magic series. Just like he vanished in Game 5 against the Celtics.

The player who was once beloved for playing every game like it was now or never now just tweets it.

Instead of ascending to legendary status, LeBron could end up as that once a generation talent whose mentality stifles his potential for greatness.

In the '90s, there was another player who looked unstoppable. A player who started on a track to superstardom but lost the fire shortly after making the Finals. A player who lost his work ethic and wasted talent most players in the league wish they had.

That player was Shawn Kemp.

The self-anointed king better get his mind right before history repeats itself.

It's an interesting , article, it's not a hate article but it offers an interesting perspective.

[Guest]

Shawn Kemp, wow that takes me back what beats he was.....

[The Franchise]

Lebron will never be another Kemp, never.

Kemp got out of shape, took drugs and balloned 50lb over his playing weight.

Lebron wont do any of that.

I get the comparison, but yeah, its off.

[dmize]

The premise of the article I generally agree with. LeBron would've been better served going to the Knicks and trying to bring NY a title. Would've been a hero there from day 1. Don't really get the Kemp comparison though, other than Kemp was the same age as Bron is now when he basically quit.

[Le Samourai]

I didn't really focus on the Kemp part since I don't know much about him other than a couple youtube vids and a couple classics on ESPN matches when the Sonics matches when they made the finals in 96.

I think it's interesting that he pinpointed the Celtics series as the moment where Lebron went from hero to zero, for all intenents and purposes, Lebron had an amazing series.

Lebron to me epitomizes that golden child who everyone is behind until he fails one too many times and becomes a reject.The hate for him , isn't just about him but the enthusiasm he generated early in his career and how he's failed to progress from there.

I think the I don't want to work , why bother argument is spot on.

[LeSwagg James]

Lebron will never be another Kemp, never.

Kemp got out of shape, took drugs and balloned 50lb over his playing weight.

Lebron wont do any of that.

I get the comparison, but yeah, its off.

This.. I LOL'd when I read Kemp

I think he went to Miami because well, the Cavs sucked and he had a chance to play with 2 friends who are also very good.. I would love to play with friends if I was in the NBA

Plus Miami is a nice city.. A lot more positives going there than negatives, it's not rocket science to me

[Le Samourai]

Melo , going crazy right now......Knicks still lost despite an amazing performance from him.

Indiana is a tough team...

[Le Samourai]

Artest has such a clean straight shot.It's amazing just how bad he is as a shooter.

[LeSwagg James]

Melo , going crazy right now......Knicks still lost despite an amazing performance from him.

Indiana is a tough team...

Didn't watch that game.. What did he do?

Btw LeBron 41 points :dance:

Plus big game tomorrow for the MVP race.. I still think it's LeBron's to lose.. He dominated for like 2/3rds of the season but he's starting to slip up

[Amar]

Melo and James with some huge games tonight.

But James takes the night for me, Melo despite his riduclous performance, played some horrible D which widened the gap for the Pacers. Knicks also gave up some key offensive boards to Admunson lol.

[Le Samourai]

Kobe ....so clutch son...so clutch.

37 footer with 6 to go to seal it.

Kobe looking at Farmar literally like this right after the shot

[The Franchise]

How is Lebron MVP...its Durant, almost obviously.

Has lead his team to a better record in a far superior conference with clearly worse teammates.

Also add on he made way more clutch shots while being the best scorer in the game....with the distinction of being the best offensive player on the best offensive team in the league.

[Guest]

Durantula has MVP locked

[LeSwagg James]

Lol LeBron's numbers were godly for 2/3rd of the season and the Heat has pretty much the same record as the Thunder.. Plus they're like 9-1 with D-Wade out, would the Thunder be 9-1 without Westbrook?

LeBron leads the Heat in almost every statistical category

[Le Samourai]

Watching 2 games tonight.

Expect Miami to trounce OKC if Wade guards Westbrook and LA match is pretty open.

[JAY-Z]

Miami and Dallas to win tonight.

[The Franchise]

Lol LeBron's numbers were godly for 2/3rd of the season and the Heat has pretty much the same record as the Thunder.. Plus they're like 9-1 with D-Wade out, would the Thunder be 9-1 without Westbrook?

LeBron leads the Heat in almost every statistical category

You mean, he padded his meaningless numbers by stealing rebounds from undersized big men and hogging the ball like noones buisness? Real impressive.

Durant has his team with a better record and then most importantly, in the much harder West (who do the Heat have other than the Bulls to take wins from them? lol) and with way less talent.

Using the logic of, Westbrook didnt miss 10 games but Wade did is clutching a straws.

[The Franchise]

On a more intresting subject, I assume all you guys played ball growing up?

Out on the court, who's game did you try and pattern yourself on?

[LeSwagg James]

Lol LeBron's numbers were godly for 2/3rd of the season and the Heat has pretty much the same record as the Thunder.. Plus they're like 9-1 with D-Wade out, would the Thunder be 9-1 without Westbrook?

LeBron leads the Heat in almost every statistical category

You mean, he padded his meaningless numbers by stealing rebounds from undersized big men and hogging the ball like noones buisness? Real impressive.

Durant has his team with a better record and then most importantly, in the much harder West (who do the Heat have other than the Bulls to take wins from them? lol) and with way less talent.

Using the logic of, Westbrook didnt miss 10 games but Wade did is clutching a straws.

LeBron a hog? LOL.. Durant is a much bigger hog if you want to talk about hogs..

Anyways I never really patterned my game after anybody really.. Just played.. My fave player growing up was probably Penny.. I also liked Grant Hill.. And of course Jordan.. I was a shooting guard so I looked at the elite shooting guards mostly to develop my game (I know Penny was a PG lol, he was just a boss)

[Le Samourai]

Kobe lol.

These days Ray Allen and Pierce.

I still look at Kobe for a lot of stuff though, particularly defensive footwork.

[JAY-Z]

Miami are playing some wack basketball. Wade and Bosh sleeping..

[The Franchise]

Lol LeBron's numbers were godly for 2/3rd of the season and the Heat has pretty much the same record as the Thunder.. Plus they're like 9-1 with D-Wade out, would the Thunder be 9-1 without Westbrook?

LeBron leads the Heat in almost every statistical category

You mean, he padded his meaningless numbers by stealing rebounds from undersized big men and hogging the ball like noones buisness? Real impressive.

Durant has his team with a better record and then most importantly, in the much harder West (who do the Heat have other than the Bulls to take wins from them? lol) and with way less talent.

Using the logic of, Westbrook didnt miss 10 games but Wade did is clutching a straws.

LeBron a hog? LOL.. Durant is a much bigger hog if you want to talk about hogs..

Anyways I never really patterned my game after anybody really.. Just played.. My fave player growing up was probably Penny.. I also liked Grant Hill.. And of course Jordan.. I was a shooting guard so I looked at the elite shooting guards mostly to develop my game (I know Penny was a PG lol, he was just a boss)

You watch Durant yeah? He comes flying off screen and hits jumpers...Lebron pounds the ball into the floor for 10 seconds before doing something..does he ever pass the ball just to pass, or does it HAVE to be an assist...ball hog isnt just someone who shots alot.

Nothing wrong with shooting alot of your scoring effiecently btw.

Anyway, Penny...great call, he used to really ball.

[The Franchise]

When I grew up, funny enough it was Chris Webber despite me being a point lol

When I was young, I grew quick to more or less the height I am now and as such was one of the bigger and stronger kids.

While I wasnt as big as the really big guys, I was about comparable to Web's size when scaled down compared to my friends.

Used to play roughly on the elbow, face up, hit the jumper or drive it. I used to step out for 3's though a bit more. Didnt have post moves as such (learnt them later) but I could finish around the basket.

However, when everyone got to my height and higher I became a flat out point. But because I played a few years close to the basket I used to take dudes down in the post and rebound, block shots very well for a point. Modelled my game on Jason Kidd then really.

[Le Samourai]

Well done heat.

Dont let Westbrook get hot and you have this

[Le Samourai]

When I grew up, funny enough it was Chris Webber despite me being a point lol

When I was young, I grew quick to more or less the height I am now and as such was one of the bigger and stronger kids.

While I wasnt as big as the really big guys, I was about comparable to Web's size when scaled down compared to my friends.

Used to play roughly on the elbow, face up, hit the jumper or drive it. I used to step out for 3's though a bit more. Didnt have post moves as such (learnt them later) but I could finish around the basket.

However, when everyone got to my height and higher I became a flat out point. But because I played a few years close to the basket I used to take dudes down in the post and rebound, block shots very well for a point. Modelled my game on Jason Kidd then really.

Never had the strength to play anywhere near the post and I hated contact anyway.

Pierce is guy I've probably ripped off the most with his step back and his pick and roll game while like Allen off screens and in transition.

I have to make some changes though, have to become a point in a couple years when I go to college so my game will go almost entirely to waste. I really wonder sometimes how half-court points have the patience to sit at the top of the key and call plays when all you have to do is call a pick and roll for an open jumper.

That right there is my worst habit.

I'll start trying to model my game after guys like Nash and Mark Price so that my shot dosen't completely go to waste.

[LeSwagg James]

Omfg this team plays like shit whenever LeBron is off the court

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