Well, it’s official: LeBron has his first ring. After 7 failed attempts in Cleveland, the man called “King James” needed two additional seasons to accomplish his goal, and now we’re all Witnessing LeBron’s championship, his first as a member of the Heat. It seems like only yesterday that LeBron James took his talents to Miami in a very abrupt (some might say selfish) way. Some applauded his willingness to take a pay cut to play where he felt he had the best chance of winning; most criticized the very public and self-centered way he chose to make his exit from Cleveland.
I happen to fall into the latter camp- “The Decision” was like watching someone break up with their girlfriend on national TV. Especially since up until that point James had been dropping some pretty big hints to Cleveland about putting a ring on it. So to watch him dump tens of thousands of people live on TV- without any prior notice given to the Cavaliers organization whatsoever- was one of the most bizarre things I had ever witnessed.
Following his defection to Miami, LeBron managed to piss off even more people, with pre-season victory celebrations, arrogant press conferences, and passive-aggressive tweets. Not to mention a bizarre Nike ad (which was followed up by a fairly epic response ad). All of this nonsense underscored a season in which LeBron’s Big 3 went to the NBA Finals, only to be put in their place by the upstart Dallas Mavericks. Now fast forward one season later, and the Heat have just finished off another team of upstarts, the OKC Thunder, and finally delivered LeBron his first NBA Championship ring.
So, what changed between last season and now? Everyone has their opinion, but the best explanation may have come from LeBron himself just after his victory last night. James claimed that the tough loss to Dallas last year humbled him. He hit rock bottom, and had to look himself in the mirror and realize that he had to better- both on and off the court. And that’s exactly what’s happened this year. During the postgame report Magic Johnson stated that James had asked himself and several other Hall of Famers what he could do to make his game better. His role on the court has become more like that of a leader, like in Cleveland.
In fact, during the third quarter last night LeBron was seen making a gesture to his teammates that he later explained means, “keep grinding”. Instead of succumbing to the temptation to gloat, which would have befitted his character last season, instead James showed surprising maturity in keeping his team focused and on point, which later bore fruit in preventing a Thunder rally in the fourth.
Most tellingly, there was LeBron’s body language after the game last night. Throughout all the ceremonies and question-and-answers, James kept his cap low and his head bowed, humbly and quietly expressing gratitude for his first championship ring. That was possibly the biggest shock of all, having seen a swaggering LeBron leap onto a stage in Miami just a year and half ago, predicting a 7, 8, 9 championship minimum. I’ll admit I was surprised to see a man who looked a bit like Old LeBron, the charismatic young superstar who had cultivated an image as an unselfish yet ambitious phenom while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Does this mean that all should be forgiven regarding James’ exit from Cleveland, and that “The Decision” is water under the bridge? For Cavs fans, certainly not. Especially not now, when watching LeBron clutch the O’Brien Trophy in a foreign team’s uniform must recall bittersweet memories of a time when they were Witnesses themselves. And Cleveland fans still have a right to feel betrayed. Until LeBron presents them with a genuine, sincere apology for the way things ended, or at least makes more than a token gesture of amicability, at which point it’ll be up to Cavs fans themselves to decide whether they can forgive James.
Would I expect that sort of gesture out of last season’s King James? Absolutely not. But this year’s LeBron? Well, he’s already taken a big first step toward redemption in the court of public opinion. Let’s hope he keeps on that path as he chases his 2, 3, 4 championship minimum in Miami.
What Is?
Hey! I'm Mike, this is my blog. and my dream is to use my middling tech skills to make the world a better place (not in the techno-libertarian, "the world is a better place if I get mine" sense, but in the actual, "I want to help" sense).
