Lebron James: Not Quite the Goat, but not Terrible . . .

Lebron James is not clutch.  Lebron James is not a good shooter.  Lebron James should shoot a better percentage from the free throw line.  Lebron James is a serial “flopper.”  Lebron James is just bigger than everyone.  Lebron James built his team. Lebron James vanishes in big moments.  Lebron James will never be better than Michael Jordan.

These are some of the comments I have heard about Lebron James during his career.  I think some of these comments are fair and accurate (See: Lebron James will never be better than Michael Jordan).  On the other hand, some of the comments are as illogical as a person who believes the world is flat. 

Lebron is one of my favorite basketball players of any generation, but I am not a Stan by any means.  By that I mean, I can objectively examine any player’s game, and acknowledge weaknesses and areas for improvement.  If someone has an opinion that is different from mine, I have no issue having a discussion, so long as it is respectful.  That said, I have talked to many people about the game of basketball during my life.  During the last 10 years or so, quite naturally, Lebron James’ name is usually mentioned in conversations about professional basketball because he is the best player in the world.  When people make comments about why they do not like him, I always ask them to explain why.  In many cases, the explanation does not make a lot of sense (I will not use the word “hate” because that would be too cliché).  The purpose of this blog is to discuss some irrefutable facts, as well as some opinions regarding Lebron’s career.

 

Exceeding Epectations:

 

Expectation:  A belief that someone will or should achieve something.

 

How many times have we heard of the next great player?  Now, in all honesty, how many times has the "next" great player met expectations?  Now of that small number, how many have actually exceeded expectations?  I honestly cannot think if any basketball player who has exceeded expectations like Lebron.  From the time he was a teenager, or maybe even before, he has been analyzed, scrutinized, and placed under a microscope by the media and any with an opinion (Remember: Opinions are just like assholes-we all have one). 

Lebron was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager and dubbed “The Chosen One.”  He was expected to be a once-in-a-generation talent.  Check.  He was supposed to skip college to enter the NBA draft.  Yep.  He was expected to become a perennial NBA All-Star.  Yeah, buddy.  He was expected to be a gold medal winner.  Check, again.  He was supposed to win NBA MVP award(s).  Yes.  He was supposed to win NBA championships.  Yep.  His accomplishments are irrefutable.  The fact that he has exceeded expectations at every juncture of his career is also an irrefutable fact. 

Lebron Would Not Dominate Other Eras in the NBA

One of the more illogical arguments I have heard is that Lebron would not be dominant in the 1980s or 1990s.  This is laughable at best, and idiotic at worst.  People argue that Lebron would have struggled to adjust to the physical nature of the game in the 1980s and 1990s.  I think people forget just how much of a physical specimen Lebron really is.  This dude is 6’8” with a 40 plus inch vertical.  Oh, and he weighs between 250-260 pounds.  When he entered the league, he was easily the best athlete in the NBA.  As he has aged, he has become so much stronger and developed a back-to-the-basket game.  He would have probably been even more dominant given the fact that he would either be guarded by small forwards weighing 200 pounds.  Or, teams may have tried to put a bigger, slower power forward on him.  Oh, and, by the way, zone defenses were illegal back in those days.  In the famous words of Liam Neeson in the movie Taken: “good luck.”

Sustained Excellence

The greatest players in the game are as lucky as they are talented.  You have to be somewhat lucky to play hundreds of games without physically breaking down.  Look at Michael Jordan’s career, for instance.  After he broke his leg in the 1985-86 season, he remained relatively healthy for the remainder of his career.  If we examine Allen Iverson’s career, it is clear that he was pretty healthy until his last playing days.  His record of good health enabled him to consistently play at a high level and, in turn, to put up hall-of-fame numbers.

If we look at Lebron’s career thus far, he has not been bitten by the injury bug.  He experienced some minor back issues a year or so ago, but nothing too major.  I think a big reason he has been healthy is because of the advancements in preventative medical procedures, as well as other technological advancements for those who are injured.  Either way, if Lebron is able to maintain his health on the back end of his career, he will have some of the best statistical numbers in the history of the game.  Those numbers cannot be ignored.  That is sustained excellence.

Top Five Player of All Time

I think it is time to acknowledge the fact that Lebron is a top-five player in the history of the game.  He is easily the best small forward to ever play the game.  His numbers over his 14-year career support that contention.  For his career, he has averaged 27.1 points per game, 7.0 assists per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, and 1.6 steals per game.  He has four NBA MVP trophies.  He has won three NBA championships.  He has been to the finals six years in a row.  For those who do not like Lebron’s demeanor, or his off the courts habits, let us focus on the numbers only.  If we do that, it is impossible to reasonably argue that Lebron is not an all-time great player.  Have there been better shooters?  Sure.  Have there been better passers? Absolutely.  Have there been better rebounders?  Yes.  Have there been players with better winning percentages?  Yes.  Have there been players with better “clutch” genes?  Yes.  But, it would be very difficult to identify a player who has sustained his level of excellence in so many different categories for so long.  Do not get me wrong: Jordan is the Greatest of All Time.  But, in terms of who will be considered the second best player ever, Lebron is positioning himself to be in the conversation.

Peace

Music and Race: An Interesting Relationship

 

Just after I graduated from college, I attended a hip hop concert.  This was not my first time attending a concert, but it was the first time I actually observed the diversity in the crowd.  Let me set the stage.  Common performed that night at the N-Club, which was a small venue.  As more and more people piled into the club, I started noticing the diversity of the crowd.  This was surprising to me because Common, at that time, was still more of an underground artist.  This was before his theatrical exploits, and before he became a household name.  It was at this moment that I really began to appreciate the power of good music.  Good music unites people from different religions, races, socioeconomic backgrounds and many other categories.  Although this was my first “woke” moment as it relates to music and race, it certainly was not my last.  

Maybe eight years later, I had a similar experience.  Only this time, I was in Washington, D.C.  There were about seven of us who planned to go out this particular night.  I was new to D.C., so I had no idea what to expect at the club.  Mainly, I had two questions for my boy: (1) what is the dress code; and (2) what kind of music do they play?  Knowing the vibe for the night is always important to me.  If the club only plays house music, I have to prepare myself for that kind of vibe.  In this case, the club was new, so nobody in our group had any first-hand experience. 

When we finally arrived at the club, I noticed it was an upscale club, which usually means the music will be super weak.  To get the evening started properly, we went to the bar to get a few rounds of drinks flowing.  All the while, I listened to the house music the DJ was spinning (I felt myself turning into the Hulk because I hate house music).  I remember thinking: “We should have just went to a hole-in-the-wall type of spot that would have played hip hop music.”  Then, for some reason, I looked towards the back of the club.  I cannot remember if I was looking for a restroom, or if something or someone captured my attention.  Either way, I saw a room in the back of the club labeled “Hip Hop Room.”

Of course, I made it my business to see what the room had to offer.  When I walked into the room, I felt right at home.  It was almost like this room was a separate club inside the bigger club.  There were all types of people in this room from all walks of life.  It kind of blew my mind because North Carolina is by no means a diverse state.  Everybody was dancing and reciting lyrics.  People had the look in their eyes that projected: “I am here for the culture.”  During the few hours I spent in this club, I did not spend a lot of time thinking about the diversity of the crowd.  But, when I woke up the following morning, I reflected on the experience.  I knew that despite the clear differences between the people in the room, one thing made us brothers and sisters for the night: Music (specifically, hip hop). 

For many people, music truly is a safe haven.  I learned my love of music from my dad who always listened to soul music when I was growing up.  He could vividly remember where he was in life when a song or album was released.  Music is a space where you can become lost in a memory.  A great song can evoke emotions such as love, lust, happiness, fear, sadness, or many other emotions.  You can listen to an upbeat song and actually start to feel more energetic.  Or, you can listen to a slow-paced song and feel lazy, sleepy, or even sad.  There are some songs that actually are unofficial signals of a season or a holiday.  Let’s be honest: has summer truly arrived if you have not heard “Summertime” by Will Smith? Or, is it Christmas if you have not heard “Silent Night” by the Temptations?

It is pretty clear that music is powerful and that it helps connect people.  But, can music transcend race?  I have always believed people—regardless of race—have far more things in common than not.  Indeed, I believe racism and bigotry are learned behaviors.  Because we are more alike than not, it reasonably follows that the same music that moves me can also move a Japanese man in California, or a 60-year old White woman from Idaho.  Although hip hop was clearly founded by Black folks, its biggest consumers are White folks.  If this fact does not underscore the power of music, I am not sure you can be persuaded. 

Do I think music is the key to world peace?  No.  Do I think music can solve the race relations issues we experience in this country?  Surely not.  I am a realist, so I know that the racial issues we have in this country are deep and complex.  There are no easy answers to these problems, but we can at least enjoy the moments when we forget about race and lose ourselves in the music.  This is the beauty of music and this is one of the many reasons I love it so much. 

Peace