The King Gets His Crown

Former writer Brett Boyer (@Bboyer14) checks in with a post about LeBron James. He is one of the biggest LBJ fans I know; I asked if this was a top ten day for him and I would assume so.  Here's Brett on LeBron.  

He was dubbed “The Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated in high school.  “Chosen One’s” win championships, and the only question was when it would happen for him?

He entered the NBA to tremendous fanfare, facing extremely high expectations.  At 18 years old, he not only met those expectations, he surpassed them by securing the Rookie of the Year and gaining the allegiance of countless fans worldwide.  Everyone understood the championship champagne would soon flow through the streets of Cleveland.

He lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers from the doormat of the Eastern Conference to a perennial powerhouse.  He secured the franchise’s first NBA Finals trip, and despite being swept by the San Antonio Spurs, fans believed this was the learning experience champions needed in order to take the next step. 

He tasted bitter defeat in the playoffs at the hands of the Orlando Magic and twice at the hands of hated rivals Boston Celtics.  With free agency looming, Cleveland realized their championship dreams with “The Chosen One” had ended.  He failed to bring a championship to Cleveland, but his next move seemingly “guaranteed” not one, two, three, etc. championships in the future.    The championships just had to come. 

He went through with The Decision.  He celebrated, proclaimed, and guaranteed championship(s).  He faced the backlash, media storm, and exodus of an entire fan base.  He tried to use his “dark side” powers, using the hate to fuel the championships he thought would come.  Doubt reared its ugly head in his mind. 

He collapsed.  The brilliance of the previous two playoff series was obscured in the wreckage of an NBA Finals flop.  He disappointed, doubted, and left a fan base disenchanted while invigorating the cynics and “haters.”  For the first time, a majority of fans agreed a championship might never come. 

He fell off the face of the earth.  He did not leave his house for two weeks, didn’t shave his beard, and couldn’t watch television.  But, that two week period transformed him into the Lebron James we see today. 

Lebron James knew a championship was coming. 

Lebron worked with Hakeem Olajuwon on a post-game that renovated an “extremely difficult to guard” game into a “virtually impossible to guard” game.  James started to read before games instead of focusing on the critique and criticism spewing from the media.  James reverted back to a mindset of “having fun” instead of “I’ll show them.” 

Lebron James knew a championship was coming. 

James carried the Heat past the clumsy Knicks, upstart Pacers, and resilient Boston Celtics.  James squared off against America’s darling and heir apparent to Kobe Bryant’s championship throne, Kevin Durant.  Lebron James and his “Big Three” confronted Kevin Durant and his “Big Three” for the one prize James coveted so much. 

Lebron James knew a championship was coming. 

In the end, playing with “love” instead of hate, attacking the rim relentlessly, and morphing into a hybrid of both Larry Bird and Magic Johnson overwhelmed the young, inspiring Oklahoma City Thunder.  Kevin Durant will be back in the Finals, but this season Lebron James matured into a player that finally deserved to win a NBA championship. 

For 8 seasons, Lebron James and his fans waited and wondered if Thursday night would ever come to fruition.  James knew at the beginning of this season what he needed to do as a person and basketball player to finally raise that championship trophy.  James remained focused throughout the regular season, throughout the playoff battles with the Pacers and Celtics, and, most definitely, throughout the “closer than the result shows” NBA finals against Oklahoma City. 

A championship was guaranteed as a certainty when James entered the league.  It remained an inevitability after the sweep at the hands of the Spurs.  Some doubted, but most still believed it would come despite losses to Eastern Conference rivals.  It was proclaimed prematurely when the Lebron joined the Heat with two of his friends.  Finally, most thought there may never be a championship after the defeat at the hands of the Mavericks. 

But, it was because of that tremendous failure James finally matured and developed into the person and basketball player that deserved a championship. 

I couldn’t be more happy.

Lebron James won an NBA championship.

“It’s about damn time….”

-Brett