Once the Knicks got knocked out of the first round of the NBA playoffs, my spring basketball priorities shifted to a) rooting for J.J. Barea to continue to destroy defenses with an array of utterly improbable moves and b) hope for the Miami Heat and LeBron James to implode. Like many other NBA fans, I became an instant LeBron-hater after "The Decision," and even though some hoops fans have begun to praise King James's choice now that his Heat are in the Eastern Conference Finals, I'm as Anti-LeBron as ever. Just when I thought I reached my boiling point with Miami on the verge of the NBA Finals, yesterday James had the balls to say that the he was happy with the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA Draft Lottery and that it "is a good step for them."
I've tried to avoid using this space as a vehicle for some of my anger-induced rants, but hopefully you'll excuse me this one time. Where do I even start ripping into LeBron for this one? There are so many things to criticize that it's almost overwhelming. Let's begin with the insightfulness of James's pre-draft analysis. Really, LeBron? You think that winning the lottery was a good step for the Cavs? Are you saying that picking earlier in the draft, therefore increasing your available options, is better than picking later and have your choice restricted? What a novel concept! Maybe that's why the NBA gives teams with the worst records the best chance of getting the top picks - thanks for clearing that up for us!
Next, didn't LeBron forfeit his right to represent the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland when he jumped ship last summer? I understand that James is always getting asked about the Cavs (I'm not accusing him of offering up his analysis unprovoked), but shouldn't he be trying to deflect the Cleveland-related questions out of respect for both his former team and his current one? Isn't a response tailored around his commitment to the Miami Heat and his focus on the Eastern Conference Finals more appropriate than his obviously-false happiness for the Cavs? It's bad enough that we have to hear about the Heat's playoff run on SportsCenter every morning. It would be nice if LeBron could stay out of the spotlight for a few hours while the post-James Cavaliers enjoy the glimmer of hope that accompanies having the first and fourth overall picks in the draft.
Finally, is there any NBA player less qualified at this point to talk about good roster moves than LeBron? James says he thinks former Duke point guard Kyrie Irving will be a great fit for the Cavs. At the same time, LeBron also thought that Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O'Neal would be great fits for the Cavs, so much so that he insisted that team managament mortgage the club's future to acquire those guys. The result? Zero NBA Championships, several playoff disappointments and a 2010-11 Cavaliers team that, without LeBron but with both Williams (when healthy) and Jamison, was among the worst in NBA history. Having LeBron praise Irving's game might be the kiss of death for the young point guard if The King's track record holds. Why doesn't LeBron just appoint himself Cavs GM while he's at it?
LeBron James and the Miami Heat might very well win the NBA Championship this year, and if they do they will have earned it. The NBA playoff picture was extremely competitive and crowded this season, and the team that emerges holding the Larry O'Brien trophy will have marched through a war zone to get it. If it is indeed the Heat, LeBron will have gotten everything he ever asked for - an NBA title, additional sponsorship opportunities and a huge monkey off of his back. There's no reason he has to take what's left of the Cleveland-related sports media coverage, too.
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