Lebron James: . . . I'm Taking My Talents to South Beach

On June 21, 2012, Lebron James finally won the NBA championship that has eluded him since he joined the NBA in 2003.  I’m sure he felt miles away from his infamous “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” speech. He finally slayed the spirit that has haunted so many great players before him like—Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Patrick Ewing.  Somehow, winning a championship validates a person’s career.  I do not necessarily agree with that position.  Were the great players who retired without championship rings less dominant or not “great” because they did not win the elusive NBA championship?  I think not.  It is a prime example of how the media overemphasizes certain accomplishments, but fails to give the audience the context within which to fully analyze each set of circumstances.  Obtaining a championship ring in any sport is commendable because it represents, in many respects, each players' hard work and dedication.  Let us not forget that NBA championships are won by a team, not any one individual.  I am happy Lebron finally won a ring and now hopefully, he can receive a break from the constant barrage of unnecessary criticism he receives.

Factors rarely raised when championships and legacies are discussed are the quality of a great player’s team and the quality of the competition a great player faces.  During the 1990’s, the Phoenix Suns, a great team in its own right, faced off against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.  As well as Barkley played and as good as his team was, The Chicago Bulls were, quite frankly, a better team.  I do not think it is fair to denigrate Charles Barkley for losing to a better team.  During the 1990’s, the New York Knicks were a tough, gritty team, but once again, they ran into a guy named Michael Jordan.  There are quite a few all-time greats that never won a ring, despite being on great teams, because of Michael Jordan.  The other players’ failures are a testament to Michael’s greatness more than their failure.

That said, let us revisit Lebron’s visits to the NBA Finals.  He made his first trip to the Finals in 2007.  He was in his fourth year in the league, and let us be honest, he ran into a juggernaut of a team in the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs had a better team, were better coached and were in the midst of what some would call a “dynasty.”  Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich were too much for the Cavs to overcome. The Spurs exposed the weaknesses in  Lebron’s game.  He was an ineffective shooter, and his post game was non-existent.  Not to mention—Larry Hughes was likely Cleveland’s second best player.  Nobody, including Kobe, or Jordan, could have led that hapless team past the powerful Spurs team.  Lebron and the Cavs were happy to be in the Finals.  They did not have the belief that they could actually win. 

Lebron reached the Finals for the second time during the 2010-11 NBA season.  This time, Lebron was in his eighth year in the NBA.  He had recently made one of the worst public relations decisions of his life.  “The Decision” was played a million times over and the clip of him saying that the Heat would win multiple championships was over emphasized.  Yes, I think “the Decision” was a mistake; yes, I think he thought the league would bow down to the Miami Heat.  The collection of individuals appearing in the NBA Finals could hardly be considered a team.  The Heat looked lost at the end of games.  They did not have an identity as a team, and Lebron had lost his love for the game.  As he has said many times since that loss to the Dallas Mavericks, he was out to prove a point to the world.  Seemingly, he had embraced the role of “the villain.”  That role is not suited for him and he looked out of place playing with a scowl on his face.  His desire to quiet his detractors drove him to the brink of elimination.  And, his inexplicable bad play on the court pushed him and the Heat off the ledge.  Not only did they lose the series, but the media said Lebron was not “clutch.”  His desire to play the game was questioned; he was accused of being a selfish player.  In 2008, Lebron played on the 2008 “Redeem team” that won an Olympic gold medal. The 2011-2012 NBA signified Lebron’s Redemption.

The 2011-12 NBA season began after an ugly lockout threatened to wipe out the entire season.  When the season finally began on December 25, 2011, Miami’s schedule consisted of many back-to-back games.  The hellacious scheduling caused many players to suffer season ending injuries.  The list of injured players included: Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and Chauncey Billups.  In fact, Dwayne Wade’s injury changed the destiny and complexion of the Miami Heat.  While he sat out, he noticed how well Lebron James played.  He noticed that the team was winning without him.  He also observed Lebron’s comfort level when he was out of the lineup; Lebron James played like the MVP he was in Cleveland.  He did not defer, he did not second guess himself.  He dominated.  As a result of Lebron’s strong play and Wade’s maturity, the Heat developed an identity.  The team no longer belonged to Wade; Lebron had become the undisputed leader and Wade played his position as the second option.

The 2011-2012 NBA Playoffs were exciting to watch.  The Heat easily won their first round matchup with the New York Knicks.  They squeaked past the Indiana Pacers and won a hard fought series against the Boston Celtics.  When they finally reached the Finals, they were slight underdogs.  The series was billed as Lebron versus Durant.  Neither star disappointed, but Lebron was special.  He dominated the game in every facet.  He scored, rebounded, assisted, defended, coached and inspired.  He was the best player on the floor and he came up big for his team when they needed him the most.  People asked me during the series if I thought Miami would win.  I said “have you seen the look on Lebron’s face?”  He had the look that said “I WILL NOT LOSE.”

Now, because Lebron has won a championship, his legacy will be reevaluated.  He will now receive praise as an all time great.  The three NBA MVP awards, Olympic gold medal, countless NBA all-star appearances apparently were not enough, alone, to make him an all-time great.  In the coming days, weeks, and years, the media will debate where Lebron ranks in the pantheon of great players.  Regardless of whether you like him as a person, you cannot deny his immense talent; you cannot deny that he dominated on the biggest stage.

Peace        

Dream Team: Greatest Team ever Assembled

As far as I am concerned, the 1992 United States Olympic Basketball team is the greatest athletic team ever assembled.  The thought for this post is inspired partially by a documentary I watched and partially by a conversation I had with someone about the subject.  The documentary is entitled “the Dream Team.”  The directors of the documentary did an excellent job providing context for the team and their accomplishments.  For starters, the 1992 Olympic Games was the first time NBA players participated in the world games.  Prior to 1992, the United States sent teams comprised of college athletes to represent the country.  That formula worked for awhile, but eventually, the world’s other teams closed the talent gap.  They sent representatives from various professional leagues that were comprised of grown men.  There was no way a group of 18-21 year old college athletes could compete with 23-30 year old professional athletes.  In 1992, it is safe to say that US basketball was on a mission to prove a point to the entire world.  That point was simple: Complete Domination.

The documentary also revealed background information regarding the team’s most high profile player, Michael Jordan and the coach, Chuck Daly.  Anyone who watched basketball during the 1980’s and 1990’s knows the Detroit Pistons stood in Michael Jordan’s way of winning a title for quite some time.  Seemingly, every great player has to overcome a great obstacle before they can take a seat at the table with the all-time greats.  For Jordan, it was conquering the Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons.  The Detroit Pistons played a style of basketball that was aggressive, physical and in many peoples’ eyes, dirty.  The man who was portrayed as the ringleader of that Bad Boys team is Isaiah Thomas.  Chuck Daly was his coach for the Pistons and was also the coach of the Dream Team.  Do you see the possible conflict?  Jordan stated that he agreed to play on the Dream Team based on a belief that Isaiah Thomas would not be a member of the team.  Scottie Pippen took it a step further and stated that he believes Isaiah was the leader of the group that played the game in a dirty manner and that he did not want him on the team.  Despite the epic battles between Chuck Daly’s Detroit Pistons and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, the two developed a rapport on and off the court during the 1992 Olympic games.  They both shared a love for golf, and through that love, the two became friends.  I personally believe their ability to put the contempt they may have felt for one another aside for the greater good is an interesting, seldom told sub plot of the 1992 Olympic Games.  

I enjoyed the behind the scenes footage of the team’s practices.  We were able to see some of the battles that Jordan had against Magic.  Not only were we able to see footage, but we were able to hear the players’ commentaries with respect to their epic battles.  The idea that you had 11 hall-of-famers on one team, and they shared the ball and played with one mission is a testament to each player.  The members of the team reads like a "who’s who" of professional basketball.  The roster included: (1) Michael Jordan; (2) Larry Bird; (3) Earvin “Magic” Johnson; (4) Charles Barkley; (5) Patrick Ewing; (6) Clyde Drexler; (7) John Stockton; (8) Scottie Pippen; (9) Karl Malone; (10) David Robinson; (11) Chris Mullin; and (12) Christian Laettner.  Eleven of the twelve players are hall of famers.  It is hard to fathom a team having more talent.  As much talent as that team had, there are always people who want to compare that team’s accomplishments with other great, U.S. Olympic teams.  I typically do not like to compare athletes from different generations because factors surrounding each athlete make it impossible to fairly assess each respective scenario.  For instance, people view Wilt Chamberlain’s great feat of scoring 100 points as one of the greatest moments in sports history.  But, is that greater than Kobe Bryant scoring 81 points against a much more talented, athletic team?  Who knows.  What I do know is it sets the stage for spirited debate between people of all ages and backgrounds.

The U.S. has fielded great teams since the 1992 Dream team.  Some of the teams have carried the moniker “Dream Team” as well.  Of those teams, I think the only team with similar talent would be the 2012 team.  That team has not been fielded yet but I think the team will consist of the following players: (1) Lebron James; (2) Kevin Durant; (3) Carmelo Anthony; (4) Kobe Bryant; (5) Derrick Rose; (6) Dwight Howard; (7) Chris Paul; (8) Dwyane Wade; (9) Deron Williams; (10) Tyson Chandler; (11) Russell Westbrook; and (12) Kevin Love.  Although Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose will not be able to play because of their injuries, I believe that team, if able to compete, could challenge the 1992 team.  When it is all said and done, this group has the potential to have 9 or 10 hall of fame players.  With that said, the matchup between that team and the original Dream Team would be intriguing, in theory.  The individual match-ups would leave basketball fans salivating.  Lebron James could go against Magic Johnson; Michael Jordan would battle Kobe Bryant; Scottie Pippen would battle Kevin Durant; Charles Barkley would battle with Carmelo Anthony; and Dwight Howard would battle Patrick Ewing.  While those matchups would be exciting, the edge still has to go to the original Dream Team.  I think they would dominate the rebounding category.  They would be able to score more easily because so many of their players were adept at scoring with their backs to the basket.  The 2012 edition would rely on perimeter players to score, and that would be difficult with some of the best perimeter defenders and some of the best shot blockers in the history of the league playing on the original Dream Team.

Who would win the game?

Peace   

Follow me on Instagram @ MrMinter2011

. 

Miami Heat Basketball: There's Winning and There's Misery

Pat Riley summed up Miami Heat’s basketball collective future in a few words: “[t]here’s winning and there’s misery.”  That phrase could not be more accurate and timely.  When the Miami Heat came together during the 2010-2011 NBA season, they thought winning NBA championships would be easy.  They believed their collective group of talent would somehow overwhelm the rest of the Association.  They were wrong.  Last year, during the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks displayed that a team can defeat a group of individuals.  The Mavericks were not the most talented team, but they were well coached, they believed in team concepts, and to be quite honest, Lebron James did not play well, at all.  As a Lebron fan, I was frustrated by his inability to dominate Shawn Marion, and DeShawn Stevenson.  He seemed to shrink in the biggest moments of that series.  His millions of haters really let him have it throughout the summer.  To a certain extent, he deserved the criticism.  They questioned his ability to be “clutch,” which is a term as overused as “swag.”

I am confused- why do people dislike Lebron James so much?  Many of my friends prefer Kobe “selfish” Bryant over Lebron James.  The facts.  Kobe Bryant has had problems with the law, he cheated on his wife, he engaged in a petty “beef” with Shaquille O’neal and he has been widely considered one of the most selfish players in NBA history.  People love him.  Lebron James has never been in trouble with the law, all of his teammates have positive things to say about him, he is engaged to be married to his long time girlfriend and he is the most talented player in the game today.  In fact, he may be the most talented player in the history of the NBA.  Yet, people find ways to hate him.  Oh yeah, that makes all the sense in the world.  Is it because he has not won a championship yet?  Is it because he left the Cleveland Cavaliers after he fulfilled his contractual obligations?  For a guy that does not have the “clutch” gene, he has certainly guided teams with little talent to the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference finals consistently.  Last year’s Miami Heat team was his first team with talent capable of winning the championship.  They came up short.  The previous time Lebron was in the finals, he played with a team that had no chance to win, and never should have made it to the NBA Finals.

This year, Lebron’s teammate, Dwayne Wade, another top ten NBA talent, conceded that Lebron James is the leader of the team.  He conceded that the team will go as far as he takes them.  That is significant because D. Wade is a former NBA champion and a former NBA Finals MVP.  He is also a player still very much in his prime as an athlete; yet he has to respect James’ undeniable talent and follow his lead.  If you have watched the NBA playoffs this year, you have seem James dominate.  Against a hungry Indiana Pacers team, Lebron dominated despite the fact that Chris Bosh was not available.  Everyone counted them out when they were down in the series.  They won that series based in large part on James’ leadership and “clutch” play.  Against the Boston Celtics, a team that has been a thorn in James’ side since he has been in the league, he played out of his mind.  The Miami Heat won the first two games of the series, then dropped three games in a row.  I remember many Celtics fans, and Miami Heat haters, saying that the series was over.  Obviously, those individuals jumped the gun.  As a former athlete, one thing that I always remember coaches saying is: “Finish the game”; or “it is not over until the fat lady sings.”  Going into game 6 in Boston, Lebron came up with a signature performance, where he scored 45 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had 5 assists.  Wow!  In game 7, the Celtics came out strong, but it was James’ scoring, and rebounding, coupled with Chris Bosh’s clutch shooting that won the game.  Up next: The Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The Only Thing that Matters

The next series will be billed as Lebron James versus Kevin Durant.  Yes, the two best players in the world will go head-to-head in the series.  But, I honestly believe role players, and coaching will ultimately determine the winner of the series.  Lebron is a better player than Kevin Durant because he can dominate a game in many facets of the game.  Durant is a dominant scorer, but the other parts of his game are good but not great.  Russell Westbrook is a great talent in his own right.  He is the point guard for the Thunder, but he is really more of a scorer.  His decision making will be a key component in the series.  Dwayne Wade is a top ten NBA player.  He is capable of exploding for 40 points on any given night.  However, throughout this year’s playoffs, his play has been erratic and he has been a terrible first half player.  If the Miami Heat have a chance of winning the series, he will have to be consistent.  James Harden is a great player and is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.  He has a knack for hitting big shots.  Chris Bosh is the third member of the Miami Heat’s heralded big three.  He is a post player that is capable of making 20 foot jump shots consistently.  Assuming those players play to their collective potential, I believe the winner of the series will be the team whose bench plays the best.  Either way, this should be one of the most exciting NBA Finals in recent history. 

For the Miami Heat: There’s winning and there’s misery.

Peace

Follow me on Instagram at: Mrminter2011   

1911 United: A Night of Fundraising for President Obama

The November 2012 presidential election is one of the most important in recent history.  President Barack Obama is seeking re-election.  In line with his re-elections effort, members of my fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated joined forces to help raise awareness about the election.  The two organizations have formed a Super Pac, which is an organization that can raise money for any political candidate.  Also, the Super Pac is able to endorse a candidate and its members can communicate a partisan or non-partisan message.  Raising awareness about the upcoming election is one sure fire way to mobilize voters and particularly, minority voters.  Historically, during the course of presidential elections, candidates engage in slanderous techniques.  However, the members of the 1911 United Super Pac do not endorse that kind of behavior.  

June 7, 2012 was the night the 1911 Super Pac fundraising event visited Greensboro, North Carolina.  When I arrived at Churchhill’s Cigar Bar around 9:00pm, I sensed that it would be a successful event.  People seemed to be in good spirits and also enthusiastic about attending a “party with a purpose.”  A nice touch to the ambiance of the night was The Barack Obama inspired tour bus that was parked outside the venue as a prop.  When you entered the event, you had to donate at least $19.11.  When you donated your money, you were given a “1911 United” sticker.  During the course of the night, at least 200 hundred supporters came and enjoyed the night.  Around 10:30 or so, the 1911 traveling step team performed an impromptu step show.  The traveling step team is composed of undergraduate members of both Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi.  Considering the somewhat competitive nature of many collegiate fraternities and sororities, it is really refreshing to see the two groups come together in a sign of solidarity for the greater good.

If you missed the 1911 United Super Pac event in Greensboro, North Carolina, do not fret because the event will be traveling to different cities across the country in its continued effort to raise awareness about the upcoming election.  Voting is a fundamental right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.  Regardless of whether you support the Democrat or Republican candidate, you need to exercise that right to vote in November.  If you are interested in donating your time or money to the 1911 Super Pac, you can visit www.1911united.com.

Peace