{"id":7306,"date":"2011-06-24T10:57:50","date_gmt":"2011-06-24T14:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prosebeforehos.com\/?p=7306"},"modified":"2013-11-13T16:22:08","modified_gmt":"2013-11-13T21:22:08","slug":"why-america-deserves-lebron-james","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prosebeforehos.com\/sports-editor\/06\/24\/why-america-deserves-lebron-james\/","title":{"rendered":"Why America Deserves Lebron James"},"content":{"rendered":"

Again he walked the lonely June walk. His sixth. But the first time he would rip off a drenched jersey not of the Cavaliers. He unclipped some luckless bracelet, slinked away from the TunnelVision camera, and into his first full summer as LeBron James: The Villain.<\/p>\n

A sultry summer locked in the gym. Of endless jump shots and low post spin-moves. Months of watching his first name scroll along ESPN\u2019s ticker as its own category, headlining his every passing thought and tweet. Months of couldas, wouldas, and What Should I Do Nows? Months to dwell on the mid-career crisis.<\/p>\n

LeBron James is 26 years old. Half of his career remains. Legacy is still a six letter word tossed around by restless sportswriters. But LeBron James has played 627 NBA games. He is decidedly middle-aged in a young twenty-something\u2019s game. He has an Olympiad on Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. And just as many titles.<\/p>\n

Year 8 was LeBron\u2019s closest yet. But still two wins short. Still six rings short of MJ, five of Kobe. Even one ring short of Brian \u201cThe Janitor\u201d Cardinal. And so LeBron James slips another year behind the MJ trajectory. Another year the crown sits a little heavier. Another blemish on the King\u2019s name. In 2009, he walked off the court against Orlando. In 2010, there was Game 5 in Boston. And in 2011, The Fourth Quarter.<\/p>\n

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Cleveland meant The Chosen 1 could not win one with the hand he was dealt. Miami: Year 1 meant The Chosen 1 could not win one with the stacked deck he picked either.<\/p>\n

He will. The Miami Heat will gel. They will land a svelte point guard. Chris Bosh may even control his facial reactions. And more grizzled vets will flock to the South Beach. But they will come not to play for the next Jordan. They will come to play for the Miami Heat. A misshapen constellation of stars of which LeBron James is simply the brightest.<\/p>\n

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We aren\u2019t fair to LeBron James.<\/p>\n

He dishes out 9 assists and is smeared a \u201cfacilitator\u201d. He messed around and got a triple double in Game 5 (17, 10,10). The most scorned triple double in NBA Finals history. We demanded the next Jordan and bemoan all we got was a more athletic Magic Johnson.<\/p>\n

Dwyane Wade was the one locked in the sordid divorce and custody trial. DWade started the cough joke. Yet DWade is Teflon-coated. He won his ring. He will always play the Derek Jeter front-man to LeBron\u2019s ARod punch-line.<\/p>\n