On Sunday night, the King and company defeated the Miami Heat, LeBron’s old squad, popping the Orlando bubble. The 35yr old, 17 yr. veteran, Akron native, 6’ 9”, 250lb, power-forward, clinched the Laker’s 17th Title with 28pts, 14 boards, 10 assists, and one lonely steal in game 6. James added cover to his pinky, (He holds a lot of power there) with his 4th Championship on his 3rd different team. An overwhelming stat to his greatness I heard from Tony Kornheiser, co-host of ESPN’s PTI, “Out of the last 56 Finals games, LeBron has played in 51!” The amount of times the Raptors, Celtics, and Wizards felt Camelot and elimination were many in American Airlines and the Q; dominating the Eastern Conference. Now, in year 2 of his 4yr Laker deal, King James has delivered as promised with the addition of the Brow. LeBron exclaimed after the game 6 clincher,
“I told Jeanie [Buss] when I came here that I was gonna put this franchise back in the position where it belongs. Her late, great father did it for so many years and she just took it on after that. For me to be a part of such a historical franchise, it’s an unbelievable feeling not only for myself, but for my teammates, for the organization, for the coaches, for the trainers, for everybody that’s here. We just want our respect. Rob [Pelinka] wants his respect. Coach [Frank] Vogel wants his respect. Our organization wants their respect. Laker Nation wants their respect. And I want my damn respect, too.”
The Chosen One slapped the backboard on a late dunk and let his reign be heard to all surfs who Witness. The graceful bounce pass to Alex, “What’s his name,” for the layup in Q2, reminded me of the beauty only a skillful artist and hard nose floor general could facilitate. Right from the get go, the onlooker’s, in a virtual world, observed LBJ’s signature fast break slam, the words of Marc Jackson echoing in my brain, “Momma, There Goes That Man.”
But the question remains, was this LeBron’s easiest Championship, or his hardest?
The media, pundits, and fans will rehash the asterisk next to Laker Nations 2020 Title for days, weeks, and years to come. The saying, some will, some won’t; so what, comes to mind. At this point in his storied career, The King doesn’t need the haters; his dance card is full. But, for the sake of an argument let’s D up, bend the knees, and see it through the goal.
Facing the Eastern Conference Champs, The Heat, was an underwhelming opponent. They just didn’t have size to compete with Davis, James, and Kuzma, let alone the chemistry and defense of the Celtics, the star power of the Bucks, or versatility of the 76er’s; yet they survived Orlando. Jimmy Butler deserves a HUGE shout out for his gritty, put it on my back, 0h; you didn’t know I was a baller All-Star play! He has definitely found a home in South Beach. But, on the real hardwood, Miami is 2nd tier.
Before game 6 let’s not forget the Lakers blazed through Portland, Houston, and Denver with only 2 losses. I regard these Western Conference foes as more formidable opponents. If Denver wasn’t pushed so hard in the previous series I have my doubts about the Lakers but that’s Herr Say. No, home court advantage, with the neutral Orlando site, nope, didn’t seem to bother the Purple and Gold; they masked up and made sure to social distance from the posers. Having Anthony Davis next to you doesn’t hurt either. Two top five players on the same team,
“Come On, Man!”
On the opposite side of the spectrum, I think about how hard it would be as a 35 yr. old man or 25 yr. old kid locked in a hotel, gym, and courtyard, in Orlando, eh. How long before you’re sick of X-Box and miss the women in your life, kids, family, and friends? No fan support to help you get jacked, eating the same food, in a plastic environment, having had 3 month layoff, and pitching 2020 Civil Rights as men of color continued to be murdered. Wondering if the juice is worth the squeeze.
James learned from those before him, (The C’s) Super Teams make sense. He was drafted in 2003 and the best the Cavs did was Larry Hughes before he went south. Can’t blame him for that, D-Wade, his best buddy, was an assassin, a champion. Davis was enough and Rondo had 19pts. in game 6, and LeBron carried the team as he has done for almost 2 decades, amazing. He’s so strong but also has touch. The funny thing is that we take him for granted. We expect nothing less than a triple double, high flying dunks, mega blocks, and dagger 3’s on command. We forget he’s human and being quarantined in O-town had him growling, “I want my damn respect, too!” He is Human.
