A Few Thoughts on the Heat's Winning Streak

For those living under a rock, the Miami Heat have rolled off 23 straight wins as they beat Boston inside TD Waterhouse.  They're in sole possession of the 2nd-longest streak in NBA history and how they've played during it is one more sign of how remarkable they've been this years.

Permit me to drop a few points I've observed.

As I've said before, the one thing that marvels me about the Heat is how locked in they are. They may be trailing in their games but they find a way to dig in, man up and overpower teams. They've gotten a few breaks - i.e. LeBron James' game winning shot to beat Orlando in a game they almost lost - but it's been a streak of dominance, not flukes.

That said, it reminds me to say that the 2007-08 Rockets that won 22 games remain one of the flukiest, strangest streaks in sports history. Even without Yao Ming for half of that streak, it's a reminder that being the hottest team doesn't mean you're one of the best teams. That streak helped them earn the No. 5 seed and saw them get bounced in the 1st round.

No Need to Debate, Hand LeBron the MVP

After LeBron James' recent Neo-esque performance against Sacramento (40 points - 11 in the second overtime - and 16 assists - 3 in the 2nd OT), I only have one thing to say that's been building up over the past 2 months.

Give him the MVP award. Right now. Unless he suffers a season-ending injury, there's no reason why he shouldn't win his fourth MVP award. Not writer burnout, not because there's a better candidate. None.

All respect to Kevin Durant, who's on pace to join the 50-40-90 club with the highest scoring average since Larry Bird in 1988. All respect to point guard extraordinaires Chris Paul and Tony Parker (who's having a career year driving the Spurs to the best record and just lit CP3 up with no mercy). But if you don't vote for James, you're either stupid or haven't been watching basketball this year.

Enough of the Lazy Michael Jordan Comparisons

In honor of Michael Jordan's 50th birthday on All-Star Sunday, I have one simple request: Can we stop lazy comparisons to him. I know it's tempting but we as fans need to stop this madness.

It's even more maddening to me because ever since I became an NBA fan at 10 years old (1994), I've listened to guys be awarded the "Next MJ" tag. Harold Miner, Penny Hardaway, Jerry Stackhouse, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, and of course Kobe Bryant. It's a game that's become predictable and sad when that doesn't come true.***

You know when I got tired of it for good? 2007. The day that ESPN's Jemele Hill made a convincing argument for Kobe being better than Jordan. I saw a debate on it on the AllHipHop.com message boards and it got pretty nasty as usual. A Kobe-MJ comparison made no sense because as I was getting a deeper sense of NBA history and analyzing game something hit me.

Me in 2007: "A Kobe-MJ debate tends to overrate Kobe and criminally underrate MJ." Basically saying that folks tended to elevate Kobe while forgetting the complete package that Jordan had.

2012-13 NBA Preview: Joy in L.A., OKC's White Flag, Boston Stranglers and Miami's Reign

It's about to be a good year to be a Lakers fan. Assuming everybody stays healthy - all eyes on Kobe's foot tonight - it's the most exciting team I've seen since 2003-04. Since we all know how that went, I'm also tempering my expectations and not talking championship yet.

But since Oklahoma City decided to blow up their core in the name of money, I'm saying the Lakers will be back in the Finals. By the way, Oklahoma City deserves props for not only reminding me of the 1995 Orlando Magic once again, but for scaring themselves into worrying about money instead of the immediate future.

At least the 1995 Magic had a chance to follow-up their Finals run with a great 1996 season that ended at the hand of the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. Sam Presti robbed this team of that chance by sending James Harden for a shoot-first old Kevin Martin, a talented rookie in Jeremy Lamb and draft picks. He also had the presence of mind to do this two days before the season. Genius!!

So the Lakers only have to worry about themselves and pray that everybody gels together. Steve Nash will do that just fine. Dwight Howard just has to be healthy and he'll dominate on the defensive end/rebounding side. Kobe just has to relax and stay healthy. Pau Gasol has to play like he did during the Olympics.

LeBron James Has Become The One

When I saw the Heat win the championship last week, all I could think about was The Matrix. Mainly, the final scenes where Neo battles Mr. Smith.

Neo and Mr. Smith battle it out over the last 20 or so minutes of the movie and each time, despite Neo's incredible gifts, Mr. Smith overpowers him and eventually kills him. Despite being counted for dead, Neo came back and instead of being angry or afraid, he was focused and started to channel his energy to become the great power he was promised to be. 

You remember the rest: Bullets stopped in mid-air, countering Mr. Smith so effortlessly that he did it with one hand and finally defeating him. Everything slowed down and he was able to win by just trusting his gifts. He became The One that he was told to be.

NBA Finals: Perspective on LeBron vs. Durant

Finally, the two folks the media and casual fans have set up against each other the last two years will meet in the Finals. LeBron James and Kevin Durant. And I will sit back and watch the predictable stereotypical comments.

“LeBron James embodies what’s wrong while Kevin Durant does it the right way”
“LeBron announced his Decision via ESPN. Kevin Durant did it via Twitter and went to the gym to hoop afterwards”
“The Super Team vs. the homegrown team constructed the old fashioned way – drafting/scouting”
“Kevin Durant is way more clutch than LeBron James” 

You see where I’m going. Despite some of that being true and some of it being opinion, it’s going to be all of this ad nauseam instead of more discussions about how they are perhaps the two best basketball players on the planet. Which they are.

But before we discuss both of them, let me remind you of the NBA circa 2007. Back when Kevin Durant was the best college player and I was fresh out of college, something was happening to the career of Mr. James.

50 years, Wilt's 100: Why it Remains Great

50 years ago, in Hershey, PA, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the New York Knicks. When the dust settled, in front of zero television cameras and barely any radio evidence, Wilt Chamberlain put on the greatest offensive show in NBA history.

100 points. 36-63 shooting from the field. A remarkable 28-32 on free throws considering Wilt shot free throws as bad as Shaq. Throw in 25 rebounds and it was an incredible display of offensive genius.

The more you get away from it, the more you realize how extremely difficult it was and is now. I remember watching the last 5 minutes of Kobe's 81-point performance in utter awe because I didn't think I'd ever see somebody go off like that again.

I consider Kobe's performance one of the greatest of the modern era. It's up there with his 62 points in 3 quarters, David Robinson's 71-point game, Shaq's 61 and 18, Michael Jordan's 63 against the 1986 Celtics in Boston, Sleepy Floyd's 51 points vs. 1987 Lakers and any more you can think of. But they aren't greater than Wilt's for two reasons.

1. How many centers have followed suit?

If you look at the greatest scoring performances in history, only one center has scored more than 70 (D. Robinson's 71 on the last game of the 1993-94 season to get the scoring title). Considering that Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon (who's career high is 52 in Year 12) might be the most athletic centers of the modern era along with Dwight, that's impressive. And Robinson only topped 50 twice besides that.

Let's go further. Only two more centers have ever scored 60 points in an NBA game. George Mikan and Shaquille O'Neal both scored 61 points.

We typically think centers should score a lot of points cause they are bigger than anybody. But considering the 1980's-early 2000's was a glorious time for big men, putting up huge numbers was hard to come by. It also means it's a lot easier and likely for a great scoring guard to score 50-60 if they get going because they can do more with the ball.

Oh and if you want to include power forwards - only Larry Bird, Karl Malone and Tom Chambers have scored 60 points. So I'm not dismissing what Kobe has done but I'm saying it's easier for an elite guard to do it than an elite center. Which leads me to my 2nd point.

2. In the modern era with better athletes, why haven't guys put up more points?

We have Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant drawing comparisons to George Gervin and Bernard King. We have the unstoppable force of LeBron James and we had Allen Iverson. Dwight Howard can be unguardable. For a brief spell, Michael Redd, Gilbert Arenas and others could light up the court. We have relaxed rules on offense so guys can run free.

So why aren't guying scoring 50-plus more often? You can argue that guys are on more loaded teams so they won't benefit from Wilt in Philly, Kobe from 05-07 or LeBron in his Cavs days being a lone gunner. Defense surely hasn't improved But here's some facts via Basketball-Reference since 2002-03 (highest scoring games since that season)

Carmelo has TWO 50-point games. Jamal Crawford has had more than him.
LeBron has nine. Two over 55 points (Career high is 56)
Dwyane Wade has three 50-point games, all in 2008-09 (Career high is 55)
Kevin Durant just had his first 50-point game on Feb. 12
The fact Andre Miller had his 50-point game in 2010 at 33 is stunning. Speaking of which, only 9 of those performances came after the guy was 30 years old
Iverson had a 51 point game in 2007. He had the third most 50-point games in that span.

Dwight Howard isn't on this list at all (career high is 45 points). So what does it mean? It means that guys may be more athletic and know how to score but it takes a perfect storm and incredible dominance to have a great night in the NBA. Some guys aren't as fundamentally sound so they can't score in a variety of ways. But even if you can impose your will, it takes a lot more than physical talent or offensive gifts to put up 50. Heck, we go nuts when a guy has 40!

Oh yeah, as far as scoring 60? Besides Kobe, only McGrady, Arenas and Iverson have scored 60 in the last 10 years. As for the Black Mamba, he's scored 50 or more points 24 TIMES in the last decade. It's a tribute to Kobe's incredible offensive arsenal and a reason why he's the legendary player he is.

And yet it all reminds you how incredibly difficult it is to score 50. Now imagine somebody being hot enough to score 100! It requires you to make at least 30 shots from all over the court and Kobe made 28 in his historic night.

What Kobe did in January 2006 was incredible in this era. And using that B-Ball ref. link I just posted, it shows you how incredible it really was.

We may see it again one day but I doubt it. I've seen kids score 36 and 39 in a high school game. I witnessed a high school classmate score in the 40's. People went nuts when Jimmer Fredette put up 52 last year. It's a lot of luck and skill and the ability to score from anywhere. That's why Wilt's record won't be passed and that's why we need to always respect this as the greatest offensive performance in NBA history.

Take 6: NBA Quick Hits for the 2nd Half

With the second half of this NBA season starting this week, I figure I'd tackle some issues on my mind. Let's start with Jeremy Lin.

1) 3 weeks in, Jeremy Lin no longer shocks me. The guy can ball and the novelty has worn off as I just watch him to see how he runs the Knicks offense. He's a great story but like all great stories, the shock wears off and you just watch to see how the subject continues to thrive. It's clear Lin is a great point guard who can run the pick and roll, get to the basket and has a decent (not yet automatic) jump shot while turning the ball over like any young player does.

But my issue is how Lin reminds me that Asian people still get a short stick on how people joke about them or promote them. Take one look at some of the signs about him at Madison Square Garden and if some of them don't make you slightly uncomfortable, do a double take. Consider how a former ESPN.com editor thought it clever to use "chink in the armor" - an old phrase referring to dent in the metal - and not realize it's danger. Or how Ben & Jerry's thought it clever to have Linsanity ice cream with fortune cookies among the flavors in it.***

***FYI, fortune cookies are an American popular item that is not served in China. While Lin is Taiwanese-American and it is popular with Chinese food, ask yourself what would happen if B&J offered  up watermelon flavored ice cream in conjunction with Black History Month. Instead of people trying to dismiss it as offensive, how about we start asking IF this is offensive first?***

Oh look, another clever pun on Jeremy Lin's name and hype. *cue the snickers and chuckles while I roll my eyes*

As somebody pointed out on Twitter, 2 weeks into his stardom, 2 companies have had to apologize to the Asian-American community. That's an unnerving ratio in 2012 to some but to me, it's not surprising because when you don't deal with things daily, you become ignorant when you see it in your face.

Maybe I'm unique because I've grown up around Korean and Filipino friends since 5th grade and hooped with them.  I'm a bit sensitive to Asian jokes because looking back on it, my HS peers said some jokes that'd be questionable and I've learned to respect them. And I consider my friends today who probably cringe when they see stuff like Yellow Mamba or fans with signs of fortune cookies.

Yes it's weird seeing an Asian-American on the professional hoops circuit. Now let's get over that. Unlike another phenomenon last year where a guy played every Sunday, Lin has played in double digit games already. Enjoy what we're seeing. Enough with the Linsanity puns and promotions that are done in ignorance and quite frankly, annoyance.

Basically let the boy play. He'll have highs and then he'll have games like when Miami shut him down. Speaking of which....

2) LeBron James is having one of the best all around seasons in recent memory. To think that a perimeter player could be shooting close to 55% is beyond looney and that's a tribute to how James has improved his midrange game and post game.

But as the All-Star game proved, even his peers are mystified by how he still lacks the consistent ability to kill until the final buzzer. Even Kobe had to tell LeBron shoot the bleeping ball. It's a reminder what separates LeBron from so many others. The last two years, LeBron led a charge in the 4th quarter only to pass it in the final moments. It's easy to say LeBron isn't clutch but to me it's 2 things - he's afraid or hates to fail and (what nobody is saying) he still has a point guard mentality.

I said this in 2010 when Boston knocked him out of the playoffs. LeBron is a natural PG in a big man's body. He may be able to physically impose his will but mentally he's thinking pass and set somebody up. He acts/walks/talks like a superstar but at his core he cares about how you like him. That's a point guard mentality and if you don't believe me, ask Rajon Rondo how he felt until 2009-2010 being around the Celtics.

That may not be a great enough excuse as pure point guards like Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Isiah Thomas and Magic could kill. Maybe it's because LBJ has been insulated from pressure since he was 16 and he's finally facing adversity to challenge him. I don't fully know but we'll see what happens come playoff time. At some point, he's going to have to mentally block everything and attack the way D-Wade does (who has a bit of chokery in him too, I notice).

The ref's face says it all, he can't even believe the Spurs and Tony Parker are still playing a high level

3) The Lakers and the Spurs dominated the Western Conference in the 2000's. But one look at them now shows why one team prepared for transition and the other looks lost.

My squad has front office turmoil beyond belief, led by Daddy's Boy Jim Buss and his arrogance to exert his will. The Spurs have stability with Gregg Popovich, one of the best coaches/front office minds in NBA history.

My squad has old guys mainly in their rotation - minus Andrew Goudelock - who barely can rest. The Spurs have a healthy mix of old veterans (Duncan/Parker/Ginobli) and young blood in Dejuan Blair, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

My squad is floundering with no proven point guard and the possibility of signing Rasheed Wallace from the YMCA. The Spurs are No. 2 in the West, having only lost 1 game since January 30.

Yes I know the Spurs could lose early in the playoffs again but they're also the perfect mix of young and old balance to thrive and transition. Meanwhile, the Lakers are starting at possibly a 4 or 5 seed (which I predicted) and tense attitudes until the trade deadline shakes out. Yep, exactly the way we want to spend a year where Kobe is having one of the greatest late career scoring runs in NBA history.

Oh and the Clippers could finish with a higher playoff seed. Welcome to a better 2006 all over again - the year where Kobe went wild scoring and had a 1st round playoff exit - unless something happens.

Random Hits

- Kyrie Irving could be the first Duke player under Coach K to win the Rookie of the Year outright. Grant Hill shared the ROY in 94-95 and Irving right now is playing at a level I haven't seen a Duke rookie play at since Jay Williams 10 years ago.

As for this rookie class. Besides Ricky Rubio and Brandon Knight, not a lot of guys are standing out. I feel bad for Kemba Walker in Charlotte. MarShon Brooks averaging 14.6 points is a side story to New Jersey's free agent drama. It's still early but the obvious potential is lacking in this class.

- Who's going to be a worse trainwreck? The Washington Wizards or the Charlotte Bobcats? Right now, it's looking like a neck-and-neck race each week. Call it the fumes of the Michael Jordan curse - Wizards are cursed for letting him go like a dog and the Bobcats are cursed for him siding with the hardline owners in the lockout.

- Oklahoma City remains the scariest Western Conference team. Forget the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook drama the media wants you to buy into. Two alpha dogs can exist and it's clear they do as long as they are winning and Scott Brooks keeps being creative with the offense instead of trying to punish Westbrook being assertive.

(A key point of this "issue" is how Durant's nice guy persona hurts him on the court. His game is great to watch and admirable but not assertive enough. He'll have to learn that taking it to the basket and calling for the ball will allow him to kill with his jumper. It took Dirk almost a decade to figure that out so let's hope Durant does it sooner.)

But the key for them this year will be the play of my 6th Man of the Year fave James Harden and Serge Ibaka, who's a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. If they play well, look out.

Virgo Kent's NBA Preview (Welcome to the NBA NWO)

I may be excited for the NBA season to start Sunday but I have far less patience for the business of the game. I don’t care for owners who only see losing profits instead of seeing their role in it or trusting their basketball people to do their part. I don’t care for poor GM’s who can’t evaluate talent and chemistry and contribute to players wanting to go elsewhere.

I don’t care for David Stern threatening to ruin the game I love with his power trip. I don’t care about people mad at players realizing the power that we gave them and fulfilling Curt Flood’s dream to be agents of change instead of being happy to play and make money.

I want to get back to discussing basketball but it feels like after seeing what this lockout is about it feels secondary. I’m gonna try to anyway despite every time I think of David Stern or see the LA Clippers, I know we are watching a league that should be enjoying a great 2010-11 campaign but comes back after a drama summer.

Stern used to be the best commissioner in sports but like all great men of power, they get delusional the longer they hold it. When they get threatened by something powerful (in Stern’s case, the Malice at the Palace), they start overreacting to keep that power. Richard III did it, Tony Montana and Michael Corleone too. So did Adolf Hitler and other leaders.

It started with the dress code. Then it led to curbing everyone’s enthusiasm after being fouled with handing out technical fouls for the slightest anger instead of just far worse whiners. Now it came to being a bully in the lockout proceedings ("I know where the bodies are buried?"), something Bryant Gumbel took a justified step further.

With the aid of the owners, he held the league hostage in this lockout without addressing the main concerns. Yes, the players gave $3 billion back but how does that make the league better? When guys are still getting crazy, overpaid deals? When a luxury tax only hints at what could be possible with revenue sharing? So he and the owners bullied the players into a deal knowing that the fans would ultimately hate them if they didn’t.

This was all about restoring power, not fairness or competitive balance*. Nowhere was this more evident than Chris Paul being arranged to go (NOT traded) to the Clippers, instead of to the Lakers in a 3-team deal. Instead of respecting a great GM who made his team better and weakened a Western power despite giving them Paul, the owners whined and Stern acting as co-owner of a team killed the trade for “basketball reasons”. That’s the power move of a desperate man who isn’t thinking clear.

*(By the way, the league hasn't had competitive balance in 31 years. Look how many teams have won NBA titles since 1980. The NBA is the only league where half of the teams makes the playoffs. Factor in 3-5 teams that just finish outside and that's 19-21 teams out of 30 who are in playoff contention. By definition, those teams are competitive.)

The Hornets got a younger package from the Clippers (and guys who looked like they were not happy to be there.) The Rockets, who thought they were getting Pau Gasol, look worse. The Lakers looked lost and flustered for the first time in seven years and gave Lamar Odom away for less than they got Gasol for. The Clippers got way more exciting and got their biggest free agent in years.

If this was a genuine move, it’d be earthshaking in its own right. But the earthquake feels artificial. Instead of nature doing her thing, it’s a man made quake that could have seismic consequences on the rest of the league, its perception and a lot of other shady instances in league history.

The Decision last year was the creation of the NWO in the WWE. The Chris Paul trade being killed was the Montreal Screwjob that made WWE Chairman Vince McMahon go from owner to power player screwing with the system. One was pivotal but ultimately more beneficial for the league despite people mad at LeBron and Chris Bosh. The other was also pivotal but deeper consequences within the league that are dangerous.

Hate these guys if you will, but David Stern did far more damage to the league than they did.

All that matters now is that the powers that be have showed their hand and I’m worried what more foolishness could transpire next. David Stern and the owners have long been the Hidden Hand behind the scenes overseeing this league but now that a new world order is in effect, this could threaten what we see and love if you care about the NBA.

But this isn’t all doom and gloom. Here’s some quick hit storylines I’m watching.

1.  Will the Heat win this year? I don’t see why they aren’t the favorites. The team that lost last year got better with Shane Battier but all eyes will be on Dwyane Wade's health and if LeBron James will play angry with a lil more developed game in the post/midrange.

2.  Can Dallas repeat? I think they’ll get back to the Western Conference Finals. With Lamar Odom and a crazy X-factor in Vince Carter, they might just be another Green Bay in terms of sneaky defending champions.

3. Can Memphis sustain its great run? I've seen Portland rise and fall. Memphis looks like a team that caught fire but I have no clue what will happen the year after. The great mystery of the West.

4. The last hurrah for the Lakers/Celtics/Spurs. Last postseason was the changing of a guard in the league. This will be the last chance for this teams to remain elite and I think the Spurs have the best mix of youth to stay around.

5. Kevin Durant finally wins MVP? Maybe this depends on Russell Westbrook and how he handled his postseason. But Durant showed why he’s the most unstoppable offensive force in the league and I think this year he gets even better.

Oh yeah, can somebody explain to me how Kendrick Perkins got on the Buddy Love diet?

6. Lob City? Chris Paul trade hate aside, the Clippers are exciting for the first time in 10 years. Time will tell if they are as good as they were 5 years ago or if Donald Sterling will interfere with this run of good like he always does.

7. Kobe’s last hurrah. I said this summer that nobody has been an All-NBA selection after their 15^th season except for Shaq and Kareem. Prior to 2 weeks ago, Kobe looked as healthy as he’s been in years. But after that wrist injury and his divorce, there’s no telling how he’ll play this year and it’s pivotal because it could be his last as the KB that we know.

8. Rip Hamilton might be the best signing of the summer. Shane Battier to the Heat could compete with this but if Hamilton has anything left, he gives Derrick Rose another weapon with postseason experience. I like this for Chicago, who I think is still the No. 2 team in the East.

9. Will Golden State finally reach the postseason? Mark Jackson is my early pick for Coach of the Year if the Warriors get there. It’s about time Monta Ellis, Steph Curry and that high risk, high reward lineup makes good on their promise and mature into a formidable team.

10. Dwight Howard? This is going to be annoying and this offseason annoyed me on it. My prediction is he plays most of the season in Orlando. He's either going to New Jersey or the Lakers but watching Chairman Stern find a way to meddle in this too.

11. Which rookie will impress the most? Another weak draft class at first but I’m interested in the Cali kids I covered who are in the league (Darius Morris, Derrick Williams, Jordan Hamilton, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Tyler Honeycutt). Curious to see what Kemba Walker does in Charlotte? How quick Jimmer Fredette gets humbled. Kyrie Irving’s growth in Cleveland. 

LeBron James Now = Magic Johnson in 1984

(I honestly didn't want to write a Finals piece. The overanalysis of LeBron's poor play has made folks who rationally criticize him turn to defenders because people are trying to rewrite his legacy every game. It's sucked the fun out of a great series and I've actually boycotted Sportscenter and most media reports since Wednesday. But in my usual form, I decided to write something nobody has brought up to distract me from being jaded. Just real talk and hoops analysis.)

Amidst all the irrational and blustering talk about LeBron James' legacy changing game-after-game (and the overshadowing of the Dallas Mavericks playing on an incredible level since the Game 2 comeback), I want to just suggest one thing as a rational hoops fan that loves the game more than hating a player.

LeBron James is proving once again why he's more Magic than Michael. I've said it before but I realize it now watching this series. LeBron James in 2011 is Magic Johnson in 1984.

For those who don't get it, the 1984 Finals between the Lakers and Celtics has been regarded by folks as the series that helped make the NBA a success in the eyes of marketers and the general public. It was the first meeting between Magic and Larry Bird and it was a 7-game series where the Celtics won in almost dominating fashion.

If you're want further comparisons to Dallas and Miami, the Lakers won Game 1, blew Game 2 on the famous Gerald Henderson steal, blew Game 4 and a 5-point lead with a minute left (the famous Kevin McHale clothesline to Kurt Rambis) and fell short during a Game 7 rally. Up to my last point, does that sound familiar to 2011?

Let's get more familiar. In each of those games, Magic played a key role in contributing to those losses and was infamously called Tragic by Boston fans. He was labeled a choke artist and on the heels of embarrassingly swept in the 1983 NBA Finals and being accused of a coach-killer, his reputation was in tatters despite his greatness.

Heck, this was the man who had one of the greatest NBA Finals games ever. He'd already won two rings and by 24, he was the best point guard in the game who appeared in 4 NBA Finals in his first 5 seasons. His 1000-watt smile had earned him fans across the country and made him beloved in L.A. But after coming up short again, all of that didn't matter.

Gee, does that remind you of anyone? A certain Miami Heat player who has been destroyed for his fourth-quarter screw-ups and seen his legacy ripped to shreds despite being hailed for times when he's come through before. Granted Miami didn't start on the road like the Lakers did but aside from that, this is the same scenario. LeBron also doesn't have Magic's two rings at the time but he does have two MVP trophies to his name.

Let's kill the myth that LeBron James is not clutch. The reason most of us real hoops fans are upset (not Cleveland fans, not anti-LeBron fans) is because we've seen LeBron rise up before and are mystified why he's playing so passively. And not passively as in body language but passive in his play.

I'm just showing folks that what LeBron is doing has precedent. He's on a Miami Heat team that hasn't been tested since right after the All-Star break with the crying game. Name to me the last championship team that wasn't battle tested before they got a ring. Even the Heat's inspiration, the 2008 Celtics, were tested in seven games in the first two rounds and their Big 3 had suffered big losses in the postseason.

Miami breezed through Philadelphia, ran through a weakened Boston Celtics squad and overpowered a not-ready-for-prime-time Chicago Bulls squad. Then they assumed they'd beat up a Dallas team that would either be overwhelmed in the end.

I'm not making excuses, I'm giving out facts. What's happening to Miami is exactly what most of us thought would happen against Boston before the Celtics got old and traded Kendrick Perkins. What's happening to LeBron is shocking considering this is the same guy that killed the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals while destroying Derrick Rose in the worst MVP-handcuffing since Hakeem Olajuwon schooled David Robinson in the 1995 Western Conference Finals.

Should Miami lose this series, LeBron needs to study Magic. Read his book with Larry Bird and study how he soaked in all the disappointment of 1984. Magic vowed to get better and he worked hard to improve his game. LeBron needs to ask Magic directly about that summer because what happened after that summer changed the NBA title landscape. Inspired by that heartbreak, the Lakers won 3 of the next 4 titles and cemented their legacy as the team of the 80's.

Will this inspire LeBron? We know what he hasn't done (maybe more than what he has done). He has yet to make his presence felt fully in these Finals despite his triple-double in Game 5 and has become as much pitied as scorned by America. Whatever the case is, he's being tried by fire and getting burned by the pressure instead of heating up

This is his 4th straight year of staring down a disappointing playoff loss. 2008 - losing the Game 7 shootout with Paul Pierce, 2009 - getting blasted by Orlando despite his incredible scoring, 2010 - the last ride with Cleveland where despite 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 steals (while shooting a poor 8-for-21 with 9 turnovers), he's accused of quitting.

Now, he faces a humbling defeat and for the first time in a year, he's realizing how much harder he has to work to become great. Either he finally rises up in the next game or two and becomes the player he (and the rest of us) expect him to be or like Magic Johnson 27 years ago, prepare for the longest summer of his career and use it as fuel.

Once again, the Decision is his.

Why Terrelle Pryor is Guilty but an Unfair Scapegoat

With news that Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has given in to the blood thirst around him and (wisely?) decided not to return for his senior year, it makes me look back at his career since he was hailed as the most hyped football recruit ever.

For those who don't remember 2008, Pryor was not only the consensus #1 football recruit in the nation, he was a top-25 basketball recruit as well. He was a bigger Ronald Curry - 6-6 with jaw dropping athleticism, a big frame and possibly the best two-sport star many of us had seen in ages. He delayed his recruitment to win a state basketball title and I for sure thought he was going to be Richard Rodriguez's next Pat White at Michigan.

When he went to Ohio State, I was shocked. He had a so-so freshman year but he finally gave Jim Tressel some BCS hardware after years of Fiesta Bowl wins and choke jobs. He never developed into an elite QB - name the last Buckeyes QB that had NFL success -  but he became a game manager under the conservative Buckeye offenses.

Do I think Pryor was overrated? Not really. I think we never saw his full potential because of the system he was in. However, he looked stiff and not fluid at times and chances are he's played his last days at QB unless something changes in his personal development. 

But it looks like he alone is going to be blamed for bringing down Ohio State football when there's plenty of blame to share. The comments by Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith on hoping he gets his degree ring hollow compared to his and President Gordon Gee's dog-and-pony press conference supporting Tressel, where Gee said "I hope Tressel doesn't fire me"

At this point, I only frown on academic cheating and criminal offenses. When it comes to athletes getting money under the table, I'm looking at the NCAA like "You'd rather have this than paying these guys upfront?" "You support amateurism in an era of TV contracts and bowl games getting huge financial payouts yet none comes down to the guys who make it possible?"

I believe in integrity but when I realized that football and basketball made way more money for the school, I'm more upset at people who make money off these players then get away with no punishment while they go down for relatively small-time offenses.

(In Pryor's case, his money tree, Dennis Talbott has an interesting history. The fact that he openly paid checks says dude didn't care about dropping dollars or running to make money off his name and the names of other guys.)

Thanks to this latest story about Pryor being compensated - where his biggest crime is Nicky Barnes like flaunting, not making money off his name when older men were going to do that at auctions - chances are Pryor's name will be stripped from the record books and Ohio State's going to lose some victories.

Meanwhile, Jim Tressel is being hailed as a pious, noble figure for resigning despite the Sports Illustrated story showing this is bigger than Pryor and his four associates and controversy has followed him since Youngstown State. He lied to the NCAA while trying to protect his players amidst a federal investigation but the NCAA doesn't care. If Tressel came clean, Pryor and Co. would be suspended and we'd move on.

Meanwhile Gene Smith has to watch his head because saying that Pryor and Co's tattoos were an isolated incident has clearly backfired. If Mike Garrett was forced to step down as USC athletic director based on Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo and other instances of impropriety, Smith should be the next head to roll.

Meanwhile, boosters are showing once again they impact college sports in negative ways. They have power and most use it wisely to benefit their school of choice. At the same time, that power is negative when they don't have to answer for dropping money into the laps of a few kids creating a hornet's nest of jealousy in the locker room and escaping blame when everybody suffers around them for their "noble gestures."

It just goes to show you that enormous hype and attention showered on kids paves the way for snakes and poor decision making all around. But we also need to differentiate between boosters giving benefits to sway a kid going to college versus a kid getting a (reasonable) hookup while he's there. What's more damaging to a program? You know things are bad when Bobby Knight is calling out the NCAA on this rule.

The problem isn't players or even the CEO coaches - it's boosters and the hypocrisy of an organization promoting amateurism and student-athletes without doing more to protect the players they see as expendable. It's bigger than Terrelle Pryor and once folks see that, then we can talk intelligently about what happened to Ohio State.

2010 Year in Review Part 2 (Music and Sports)

Music

Had a convo with Power 106 via Twitter voicing my disagreement over their music direction. It was a very civil convo and I felt they were honest with me but in the end, I think pop/urban radio is slowly moving away from my ears. Has been the last 3 years. The irony of this happening on the day we learned Guru died and reminisced how he fought “for 3 minutes of every rap radio hour.” But as a music fan, this was something that should happen more often - radio stations and their accountability.

TI and Wayne both screwed up their comebacks - TI by stupidly getting arrested again and Wayne dropping that awful 6-foot,7-foot song. Nice going, fellas. 

Only show I watched this year was Keith Murray showing up with boy my Destruct and Rock The Bells 2010. This RTB might be my last but if it is, I saw my favorite album performed live in Midnight Marauders, saw KRS live for the 1^st time and watched Snoop take it back to 93. Next year? Georgia Power with Big Boi and Cee-Lo!!

I discovered more older music this year. Finally got into Radiohead’s albums and hailed Kid A as one of my favorite albums ever. I discovered classic albums by Smashing Pumpkins and De La Soul. That was as big a part of 2010 year in music as anything I listened to. The Bends sounds like total 90’s alt-rock that got copied all decade, OK Computer sounded like depression but beautiful depression as outsiders. Kid A – too good for words. Siamese Dream – such a great guitar album that Billy Corgan dominated.

Oh yeah, discovered LCD Soundsystem finally. Epic music that I’ll take over the Arcade Fire anyday

Top Albums

Atlanta dominated the best of music for me. If it wasn't Cee-Lo's epic viral hit, it was Big Boi showing why music labels had no idea what they were thinking sleeping on his album. And it was OutKast protege Janelle Monae who showed why she is the most creative force in R&B in a long while.

I didn't get into much rock this year. Linkin Park's lead single was a huge disappointment as they tried to be Nine Inch Nails-lite and sounded so soulless. Kings of Leon flopped as well. Rock was so down that the local rock radio station went from 106.7 songs in their end-of-year countdown to only 30 and several artists repeated. Thank goodness for the Black Keys and the return of Social Distortion.

Top Albums

1. Big Boi – Sir Luscious Leftfoot (Best OutKast-related album since Stankonia)

2. Janelle Monae – The Archandroid (The best vocal album of the year)

3. Cee-Lo – The Lady Killer (Soul, funk, attitude from the South’s #1 Renaissance Man)

4. Nas + Damien Marley – Distant Relatives (A powerful statement!)

5. The Roots – How I Got Over (Balancing Depression w/Upliftment)

6. Reflection Eternal – Revolutions Per Minute (10 years off and they still sound great together)

7. Black Keys – Brothers (Straightforward blues based rock that hits ya ear perfectly)

8. Eminem – Recovery (Fantastic Comeback for Slim Shady)

9. J. Cole – Friday Night Lights (Please, don’t let his debut album disappoint like Wale’s)

10. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part 2
*special note to Lecrae - Rehab and Trip Lee - Between Two Worlds. Two of my favorite Christian rappers dropped great albums with excellent concepts.
**Also special note to HISD -The Weakend. One of the best under-the-radar albums

Yelawolf is my rookie of the year for making the biggest impact. Once I heard him on Peter Rosenberg's Late night show, I was hooked.

Florence + The Machine sound pretty awesome as well. Don’t know what to expect in 2011 but after Sade’s comeback (which is gonna be better when she goes on tour in 2011), can we get our first Red Hot Chili Peppers album in 5 years PLEASE?????

Favorite Songs (in no order)

Big Boi – Shutterbugg, General Patton (Shutterbugg's my single of the Year - the hit that wasnt)
Alicia Keys - Unthinkable

Dead Prez – Don’t Waste It
Sade - Soldier of Love (the 1st buzzed song of 2010 got slept on hard but she's back!)

Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Rock (3^rd decade with a hit)

Royce da 5-9 – Taxi Driver

Little Brother – Curtain Call (a great finale to a great group and the year)

Wale – Eyes of the Tiger
Trip Lee - Show's Over
Lecrae - God is Enough

B.O.B. f. Hayley Williams – Airplanes

Black Keys – Tighten Up (Danger Mouse produced another gem for my new favorite rock group)

Janelle Monae – Tightrope

Nas + Damian Marley – Strong Will Continue

Yelawolf – Pop the Trunk

Cee-Lo – F You

Reflection Eternal – Ballad of the Black Gold, Just Begun (w/ J. Cole, Mos Def and Jay Electronica)

J. Cole – Premeditated Murder

Eminem – Not Afraid, Seduction

The Roots – The Fire (w/John Legend), The Day (w/Blu and Phonte)

Erykah Badu – Window Seat

LCD Soundsystem  - Dance Yrself Clean

Lupe Fiasco – B.M.F. (Liked it way more than Rick Ross' version even if Lupe can do better)

Kanye West – Power/Blame Game w. John Legend

N.E.R.D. – Party People (f. T.I.)

Favorite Mixtapes
1. Friday Night Lights
2. Dead Prez - Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz
3. Royce da 5-9 - Bar Exam 3
4. Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik 0-60
*Somebody needs to tell Wale to get back on his mixtape game. Last two have been disappointing and the sequel to Mixtape About Nothing had about 3-4 good songs.

Sports

Of course the Decision is the #1 moment – Twitter nearly exploded, non-fans had a say and LBJ went from beloved to hated. Hero to villain who changed the direction of the NBA and the power of the players. Hated how he did it but have no problem trying to win.

Late discovery was Bomani Jones and his morning podcast. Hands down was one of the best things this year and in a lilly-white radio field, it was refreshing to hear a brotha who was smart, funny, usually dead on and young enough to show why he, Michael Smith, Jemele Hill will be great to read/watch the next decade as the faces of Black sportswriters.

I threw away my Michael Vick jersey after he burned a $100M lottery ticket on some beasts. I wasn’t mad at what he did as much as  I was seeing an immature man wasting his God-given talents not leaving his boys alone. I’m more proud of him getting his life back and growing into maturity – he’s a lesson for young men that mistakes don’t have to define you. It helped that he’s turned into Steve Young Part 2 and entered The Matrix.

Favorite Moments

1. Isner-Mahut 3 day marathon at Wimbledon 

2. Lakers/Celtics Game 7 (greatest ugly game ever – this was our 85 Finals moment)

3. Meltdown at New Meadowlands (Vick’s MNF game was sick but this was even better) – welcome back #7

4. US in the World Cup. Ghana going far despite that late miss. David Villa dominating it for Spain

5. Super Bowl 43 (Tracy Porter, gutsy playcalling and Drew Brees holding his son – bigger than fball)

6. Duke winning the ship!

7. Baseball’s Year of the Pitcher (2 perfectos, several no-hitters, including Doc doing it twice, and a game for the memories in Andres Galarraga).

8. Spain won huge this year – World Cup, Pau Gasol, Rafa Nadal.
9. Mark Buherle's kick-save, through the legs play. One of the greatest plays I've ever seen.

*And low twos to the Dodgers beginning what’s sure to be a descent into despair. This Dodgers divorce set a pall over the season and it was terrible watching it unfold after watching a great Opening Day. No coincidence that I didn’t go to another game all year.

Oh yeah, went to my first-ever hockey game. That was one of the coolest things ever and I love the game live now.

I got quite a few things to look forward to 2011 – 10^th anniversary of my most life-changing year ever. The beginning of me growing out of my shell. Like Matchbox 20, I’m ready to see how far I’ve come looking back on it.

Darth James Comes Alive

LeBron James finally became Darth James last night. Or maybe he just morphed into him for one night to mask for a fact of not being able to do it more often. It was beautiful revenge - THIS is the LeBron I want to see. A guy who plays with anger, a chip on his shoulder and a killer instinct to rise to the moment and carry his team.

Darth James entered Cleveland the hated villain. The hometown hero once removed. Booed from the jump by angry fans who showed up to boo him instead of cheer their team to victory. Nevermind the fact that Cleveland is back to playing terrible basketball, let's rise as an Empire scorned to hate our prodigal son.

For the recap, Darth James is a killer. A killer who cares about ripping hearts and dominating the court at will. It's LeBron James as Super Saiyan 2, an unstoppable force who knows his power and uses it with no fear. He's also oblivious to hatred and has no desire to be loved. Sound familiar? It's Larry Bird, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant's trump card. Cold-blooded arrogance matched with rising to the occasion.

The Heat became the Evil Empire and Darth took the first blow - an easy jumper to score the Empire's first points. 14 points in the first half to share the lead with Flash Wade. But the true damage would come after halftime.

I sat during the third quarter watching Darth shoot from all over the court with almost nobody in his face. A three pointer here, a mid-range jumper there. An alley-oop layup for an And-1. And all I heard was silence. An arena watching the life sucked out of it with no mercy. Their deficit grew to 20 and then 30. All those folks coming to boo instead of cheer their team were silenced.

And then the kill shot. LBJ - i mean Lord Vader - hit a tough jumper in the face of two defenders. Nothing but net and then ran down the court staring down and barking at the Cleveland bench. I laughed out loud - Cleveland was letting him do this without daring to respond. Nobody wanted to be Luke Skywalker - they were all scared pawns in his wake once again, proving why LeBron deserved to leave them.

24 points in the quarter. Reminded me of the 25 straight he scored against the Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. He transformed into the villain who didn't care about anything but the bottom line. And I loved it!

He did whatever he wanted. Talked trash. Joked in their huddles during/after timeouts. Nobody dared to rise against him because they knew he owned them. They were beaten from the jump. Whenever your fans have more heart than you, its over.

Even better was taking shots at Dan Gilbert - oh how I loved this story. Hey Danny, instead of being pissed and doing stupid things like investigating if the Heat tampered with LeBron, how about you realize LeBron was right and your team isn't good enough without him.

All respect to Daniel Gibson for speaking his mind AFTER the fact. At least somebody said something but what good is that when you don't handle it during the game. Who was gonna step to him with a cheap foul? Who was gonna say "Not in our house, chump." Byron Scott was sitting there perplexed, thinking about how in the 80's/90's, this never would've happened. Cleveland has no heart and taking a butt-whipping like that confirmed LeBron made the right call.

Of course, now LeBron has to understand that this can't be a one-night focus. He has to bring out Darth James every night because the Heat are everyone's favorite villains. Be a killer every night. LBJ hasn't shown that he has it in him and that's the next level - learn to kill every night and have everyone rise with you. Pick your spots, tag-team with Flash Wade and build with him, not feel the need to do it without him.

And don't have your boy Maverick Carter speak anonymously. Erik Spolestra is your coach. He'll make you better, not baby you. Learn from him because bringing Pat Riley down will show you what a cold-blooded killer looks like and you won't grow from that.

But for one night, it was good to see the Darth James finally come out instead of watching him play with rabbit ears. Cleveland fans got their wish and will get their wish every year until he retires. Focus on your team now and together we'll watch if Darth James can actually uphold a label he's been given in a game that matters.

A Letter to LeBron James

Dear LeBron,

Been quite a summer hasn't it? Moved to a new home, signed with a new employer to play with some friends and somehow managed to alienate an entire state and plenty of fans in the process. You also somehow became the new obsession of ESPN - not bad considering they've only loved Brett Favre and the East Coast just as much.

Your first days with your new employer are getting all kinds of attention. But is it really the best kind? Your preseason games are getting national attention. Don't get me wrong, folks will kill to see you play but having all this attention for meaningless games isn't really the best. But you can't be blamed - ESPN's more about creating the story these days than reporting it.

Right now, you're at a crossroads. 25 and the face of the NBA yet facing more backlash than at any stage of your career. Ohio insulated you for a decade as you grew up a 2-sport star to national magazine cover boy as a HS junior to the biggest sports star Cleveland had since the mid-90's Indians. New decade, new challenges face you and it's time for you to assess what's ahead.

You've done a great job bringing your old friends along to help mold your career but you need to re-evaluate your boy, Maverick Carter. If anyone is to blame for guiding you wrong during "The Decision" and beyond, it's him. Clearly he wants respect. He wants that Forbes Juice. But he's doing it the wrong way.

Maverick's guiding your steps but you're a grown man. It's time for you to man up and own your voice. Take some advice and decide what's more important. Being a billionaire or being a smart billionaire whose main focus is HOW he got the money, not getting the money. Your idol Michael Jordan was a master of control.

Mav's trying to do two things. Prove himself as a power player while managing your moves to validate that. Putting you on TV and magazines didn't do anything but start a goodwill tour you don't need. Image is everything but sometimes you have to take a step back and let things breathe - something our generation doesn't do enough of.

You bringing up race as a reason for the backlash was something wasn't it? You were right and wrong. Right in that it was "a factor" (not the #1 factor), right in that it always plays "a role" (defined as some role) but wrong in not making that clearer. It lacked the nuance needed in the public sphere to make it clear but you handled the aftermath well - when asked about it, you owned it and wanted to move on. Well done.

I'm not mad at you for saying it, I'm disappointed that you didn't explain it better.

I hate to say this. It's four words I don't like to tell any Black athlete because it's what you get told whenever you speak your mind. It's what any athlete gets told by fans who don't want to be preached to and encouraged by owners who have no problem not listening to their own advice. The words are: Shut Up and Play.

Don't say anything else about a list you've made of people who wronged you. MJ, Kobe, Larry Bird and others have done the same thing but they made mental lists. Saying you've made a list doesn't make you an vengeful Bride, it makes you look petty.

Don't do anything besides bball-related interviews. This is the year when you need to work on adding rings to your empire. You see your boy D-Wade flashing that 06 ring he earned being The Flash. You see the Lakers reloading for the 3-peat. You see the Eastern Conference getting stronger with Chicago joining Orlando and Boston as your threats. It's time to focus on the goal, not the empire.

Bball fans see you as nothing more than a glorified point guard in a small forward's body. They think you're all hype with no leadership who takes over because he has to not because he wants to. Now you have the team, the figurehead in Pat Riley and all the motivation in the world. You won't change their minds with any interview so like I said, shut up and play.

Just do your job and remember that real kings moved in silence. Dons never signal their next move but they plan for it one step at a time. Remember Michael Corleone's final scene in the Godfather - handle your business without announcing it. Be friendly, have fun with your Twitter but think before you speak. I know it's out of character but you're Darth James now. No longer the Kid we all admired but the Man everyone loves to hate.

All of your heroes have been there. Most of your peers are there. The best way to plan for it is move in silence. Your biggest statement will be your actions - i.e. when you go to Cleveland and shove it in Dan Gilbert's pompous face. This is where you have the chance to be like MJ and go into killer mode.

See LeBron, that photo with you being introduced to Miami with your friends was nice. But you know whats nicer....

This one. The last team standing. Being handed the Larry O'Brien Trophy as NBA Champs.

It's time to grow up. You and me both are at that stage where after 25, it's time to man up and become smarter about how we handle business. You've got two months left til #26 but you can start now. Let your actions determine your future and don't let anybody - even your best friend/confidant - tell you what to do without your input.

Just play basketball, revel in your new home and new identity while letting the rest take care of itself. Besides, you're gonna need all the focus to stop the Lakers from their 3-peat. Right now, you're a King without a Crown and it's time to show and prove you're worth your hype.

Sincerely,

Virgo Kent (A Fellow 84 Baby and Hoops Fan)

L.B.J. (What Does It Mean?) - Winners/Losers/Reaction

Bill Simmons of ESPN called it the LeBronApocalypse. The reverberations of July 8, 2010 are gonna be felt for years to come just like July 1, 1996. So in the spirit of the Sports Guy, here's the winner and losers.

Winners:

LeBron James - Cut to the chase, beneath the BS of his process, he won because he chose the best chance of winning over money and staying home. He sacrificed his on-court ego for the Superfriends. New jersey, new team, same dream.

Dwyane Wade - He becomes the Alpha Dog Superstar. LBJ and Chris Bosh came to his team, he's still The Man and better yet, his reputation grows even bigger. He's no villain, in fact, he's arguably alone with Kobe, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant as a superstar.

Pat Riley - Nearly 3 decades after Showtime, he's still making moves. Biggest power broker in the NBA (World Wide Wes who?). Erik Spolestra, Stan Van Gundy's on Line 1 telling you watch your back.

Miami - Welcome back to respectability. 4 years after Shaq and D-Wade brought you a ring, you're poised for the best run you've had since Tim Hardaway and Alonzo ran the city for years.

The NBA - Promotions galore? Sellouts around the country? Hype, Hype, Hype!! Oh YES, David Stern is happy as he's been since Jordan's final season. Ratings through the roof, casual fans tuning in, not to mention a highly competitive season.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers - While the Evil Three celebrate, the Black Mamba chills with his army. If Pau Gasol dominated Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard, how will he fare against Chris Bosh, a far weaker version of the two. Oh and Miami needs to figure out how to fill up that bench besides Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller.

Did I mention the Lakers just got a boat load of new fans rooting to take out the 3-headed Hydra? For Kobe haters, they hate LeBron even more and its picking the lesser of 2 evils. More motivation for the 3-peat. If Derek Fisher doesn't get his deal from the Lakers then this goes for naught. Memo to Mitch Kupchak. Make. It. Happen.

Kevin Durant - quiet as kept on Twitter, he re-upped with Oklahoma City ensuring they'll run the West along with Portland and Houston. Give them a quality big man and they'll get a ring faster than Miami.

He also endeared himself to more fans. Showing up to summer league games for his team? Putting in work in the gym after signing? He gets it.

Losers:

LeBron James - Where to start. He becomes a villain (Darth Vader, the 2nd half of Richard III) and is the NBA's answer to A-Rod, its greatest talent with zero team hardware. His reputation will never be the same as a King, but rather a talented, unselfish PG that couldn't do it on his own.

That's not a bad thing considering it didn't tarnish the legacies of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone (peep his 1982-83 Philadelphia squad of 4 All-Stars and the 6th Man of the Year), Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett. Not every star stays with one squad. But outside of Shaq/Moses/Kareem, all of them weren't in their prime. They all had chances to be the man and when they couldn't, they went elsewhere to win.

It's true for LeBron, but the backlash of his announcement has turned him into Darth James. The love is gone, enter the hate and resentment. He'll be hated worse than Kobe for his oversized ego in planning this whole charade. It was a celebration of himself and his empire, which leads me to...

ESPN: The Worldwide Leader of Sports has blurred the line with sports and entertainment before. They've been accused of favoritism, bias and being the story instead of reporting it. Thursday, it all came to a head.

Journalistic integrity was lost as they not only hosted this charade, but allowed for LeBron advertising to dominate the airwaves. (via Vitamin Water or McDonald's). My dude Stu Scott was painfully guilty of hyperbole and if not for Michael Wilbon's and Jon Barry's perspective, it would be the worst public foreplay in a while.

ESPN's been pumping this dude up since 2002 when they showed him and Carmelo facing off in high school. They've been feeding into the hype machine for 8 years so it's no surprise they publicly sold their soul for a 1-hour special that felt all shades of dirty compromise. They made this bed, laid in it and in the end, the network looked like a prostitute instead of a news station.

Amar'e Stoudemire -After LeBron's announcement, it was announced David Lee left the New York Knicks in a sign and trade with Golden State. Soon after, Chris Duhon left to sign with Orlando.

So what did Amar'e gain this week? A $100M contract to play for a team with no PF to ease the burden and no PG to run the team and give him the ball. Oh, but he's back with the coach he didn't win anything with. Have fun in mediocrity - anybody seen Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw or Quentin Richardson lately?

(By the way, this makes Steve Nash all the more valuable)

We the fans - I asked on Twitter if we're partly to blame for LeBron's ego. But it can apply to any famous athlete who we've built up and watch become a villain. Like Jay-Z said, "First they love you, then they hate you, then they leave you alone"

We worship the cult of personality created by the media and our interest. We build people up to be bigger than are. We tell kids that they are the most important people around, throw our hopes into them and make them out to be saviors. But then we get mad when they don't follow our plan or throw it away (Painfully obvious this past week with Lindsay Lohan)

Welcome to Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein makes a monster that he hopes to control but ends up watching it lose control b/c it began to think for its own and become independent. We can't control people yet we feed into someone having a bigger sense of identity.

So we lost too. Sportswriter Will Leitch (one of the best today) said it best - we idolize people who are nothing like us and project ourselves onto them. Only problem is they have a brain too and will take our praise and run with it.

Cleveland - 1964 was the last time they won a professional sports title. They won't win another for another decade at least.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert - We went nuts over his ether to LeBron. Then realized it was self-ether because he pampered and coddled his "King" by hiring a favorable coach and trading for parts that didn't fit. You mad? Look in the mirror and realize this is your fault. Loyalty is about winning and you made LeBron's decision easier acting like a jilted lover.

Knicks/Nets - Waited two years for what? To be way out of the running despite Jay-Z, incredible cap space, overload of $$$ from the Nets owner and the Knicks doing everything to set up for this day.

Epic failure. And no sign of getting out of irrelevancy for a while. Sorry Knicks/Nets fans.

The NBA landscape has changed big time. It's the Rise of the Six Lord Darth James and the Evil Empire orchestrated by Gordon Gekko Himself, Pat Riley. Will it be fun to watch? You bet. But bet your money on the Lakers not being ready to give up the throne and Boston ready for one more run as the Beasts of the East

LeBronApocalypse will be felt for years to come like July 1, 1996 (the day Shaq came to the Lakers and ushered in a shift from the East to the West). But it's bigger than basketball as the world watched his decision, it reminded us that winning no longer is a requirement to make you a brand. Just hype and buzz.

We are all witnesses AND participants in this disgusting ego trip. It exposed what we've done for years but too bad the outrage won't change anything.