Time Running Out On LeBron
June 13, 2017 at 3:48 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
Maybe it was just in the aftermath of another Finals loss, the fifth such defeat in his career. But James looked like a man closer to the end of the road than the beginning. He reminded me of the old Clint Black song “No Time To Kill.”
Let’s be clear, there can be no disputing King James’ place in basketball history. His ranking among the game’s all-time greats can be disputed, but James continues to be a once-in-a generation player.
Averaging a triple-double in the Finals makes LeBron more comparable to Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. James understands that he needs to score for his team to be successful, and he makes his teammates better because the ball doesn’t disappear once No. 23 touches it.
These days, it’s players that build NBA title teams, not front office personnel. Kevin Durant could have gone anywhere he wanted last summer, and if he had gone to Cleveland, we’d be talking about the Cavaliers repeating.
The Golden State Warriors needed Kevin Durant to return to dominance. My boss and I were talking the other day that if you combine the record from last regular season with the postseason run of 2017, the Warriors clearly supplant the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the greatest season ever.
Durant needed the Warriors, too. He played for nearly a decade with the Seattle/Oklahoma City franchise with one Finals appearance and zero wins. He wasn’t going to get a ring with the Thunder.
The talk now is whether anyone other than Golden State can prevent the Warriors from becoming a dynasty. If they don’t implode and do keep egos in check, there’s a case to be made.
The greater question may be “who can the Cavaliers get to add to the James/Kyrie Irving nucleus?”
LeBron turns 33 on December 30, and has played 14 actual seasons in the NBA. With eight trips to the finals, and the playoff pressure that comes each spring, that’s more like 16 or 17 seasons. In the press conference, he pointed out the All-Stars on the Warriors are all 20-somethings.
If the Cavaliers are serious about bringing more championships to Cleveland, they need to act this summer. The path to the title will run through the Bay Area for quite a while. LeBron and Company successfully navigated that path this time a year ago in dramatic fashion.
LeBron needs help to finish his career the way it ought to be completed. Otherwise, his legacy will be very similar to that of the early 1990s Buffalo Bills. It’s not a horrible place in history. But the focus won’t be on the thousand successful steps it takes to get within sight of the summit.
Think about it. Without looking it up, can you name more than one astronaut on the Apollo 11 flight??Or do you remember just the one who took the small step/giant leap?
Now, how will the Cavaliers help LeBron’s legacy? The clock is ticking.
Maybe it was just in the aftermath of another Finals loss, the fifth such defeat in his career. But James looked like a man closer to the end of the road than the beginning. He reminded me of the old Clint Black song “No Time To Kill.”
Let’s be clear, there can be no disputing King James’ place in basketball history. His ranking among the game’s all-time greats can be disputed, but James continues to be a once-in-a generation player.
Averaging a triple-double in the Finals makes LeBron more comparable to Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. James understands that he needs to score for his team to be successful, and he makes his teammates better because the ball doesn’t disappear once No. 23 touches it.
These days, it’s players that build NBA title teams, not front office personnel. Kevin Durant could have gone anywhere he wanted last summer, and if he had gone to Cleveland, we’d be talking about the Cavaliers repeating.
The Golden State Warriors needed Kevin Durant to return to dominance. My boss and I were talking the other day that if you combine the record from last regular season with the postseason run of 2017, the Warriors clearly supplant the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the greatest season ever.
Durant needed the Warriors, too. He played for nearly a decade with the Seattle/Oklahoma City franchise with one Finals appearance and zero wins. He wasn’t going to get a ring with the Thunder.
The talk now is whether anyone other than Golden State can prevent the Warriors from becoming a dynasty. If they don’t implode and do keep egos in check, there’s a case to be made.
The greater question may be “who can the Cavaliers get to add to the James/Kyrie Irving nucleus?”
LeBron turns 33 on December 30, and has played 14 actual seasons in the NBA. With eight trips to the finals, and the playoff pressure that comes each spring, that’s more like 16 or 17 seasons. In the press conference, he pointed out the All-Stars on the Warriors are all 20-somethings.
If the Cavaliers are serious about bringing more championships to Cleveland, they need to act this summer. The path to the title will run through the Bay Area for quite a while. LeBron and Company successfully navigated that path this time a year ago in dramatic fashion.
LeBron needs help to finish his career the way it ought to be completed. Otherwise, his legacy will be very similar to that of the early 1990s Buffalo Bills. It’s not a horrible place in history. But the focus won’t be on the thousand successful steps it takes to get within sight of the summit.
Think about it. Without looking it up, can you name more than one astronaut on the Apollo 11 flight??Or do you remember just the one who took the small step/giant leap?
Now, how will the Cavaliers help LeBron’s legacy? The clock is ticking.
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