Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2011 > June > 07 > Entry
LeBron James’ latest critics are wrong
LeBron James latest critics have it all wrong.
While I still fault him plenty for the classless way he dumped Cleveland for the Miami Heat, I’ve got to give him his due for what he has done in the NBA playoff’s and especially in two of the first three games in the championship series with Dallas.
James is a big reason Miami leads this series. His defense on the Mavs Jason Terry has turned the guy known as The Jet into a sputtering bi-plane that - come the fourth quarter of each game - barely gets off the ground.
And that’s why Mavs superstar Dirk Nowitzki finds himself on an island all alone. He’s being forced to carry an entire team on his shoulders because he is getting no consistent scoring help.
With James doing the less-trumpeted but most-necessary dirty work at one end of the court it’s allowing teammate Dwyane Wade to be the offensive star. That’s not to say that James is a slouch on the offensive end though. Against Dallas he;’s still averaging 20,3 points per game as is shooting 52 percent from the floor..
While “The Decision” - his ill-conceived televised putdown of Cleveland to announce his jump to Miami - came off as ego run amuck and turned James into a villain in many corners of the sports world, his performance now presents the flip side of ego. He’s pretty much keeping it under wraps for the betterment of the team. And I think that’s making him a better player than he ever has been.
Some people don’t see it that way, especiallya CBSSports.com columnist whose missive Monday bore the headline: “Story of an incredibly shrinking supertsar.”
The crux of the argument was that in the first three Finals games, James has totaled nine points.
I think the story is making a mountain out of a molehill. Going into tonight’s Game 4, Miami is up 2-1 and though I’m not a Heat fan, I think they’ll take this series in six games.
As for skrinking: James led the Heat in scoring, rebounding and assists in the opening playoff series against Philadelphia. He scored 28 a games as the Heat scorched Boston in the next round and in the conference finals he not only led the team in all three major production categories again, but he also put a defensive wrap on the Bulls star Derrick Rose.
To me, James - at least on the court - has never looked better.
Tweet
Comments
By the truth
June 23, 2011 1:55 PM | Link to this
Rudy rUDY rUDY YOU CAN NEVER COMPARE James to the likes of Michael or Koby n he could never be a magic maybe a Sir CHARLES to go with his King title no ring one finger chopped off five more to go you know Kings delever chokers dont beside there is only one King n hes the King of KINGS dont get me wrong he is a super star n he a player but there is a whole bunch of other players who were super stars no RING
By boochdeacon
June 17, 2011 12:11 PM | Link to this
This article seems very stupid now. Arch you couldn’t be more wrong. LeBron did nothing the whole series. He didn’t even want to win. He was like a 10 year old on the last school day of the year. Couldn’t give a () about the game. Maybe now you should write a blog about how YOU had Lebron ‘all wrong’.
By jc
June 8, 2011 2:04 AM | Link to this
I think leBron James is being threaten by wade not to take the spot light, if and i repeat if they win wade wants it to be Dewayne wade and the miami heat not lebron James so sad and he looks like it
By Mantis
June 7, 2011 7:01 PM | Link to this
Can any of the LeBron haters name a team that’s won the NBA championship with only one star and a bunch of scrubs? As I recall, when Michael Jordan won his six championships, he had a teammate named Scottie Pippen, as well as some other very capable teammates. Magic Johnson was surrounded by hall-of-famers in Los Angeles, as was Larry Bird in Boston. As for LeBron being a traitor, why do people tend to hold athletes to a higher standard than they hold themselves. How many of us, if a better opportunity presented itself, wouldn’t leave our job in a heartbeat?
By Tomas
June 7, 2011 6:46 PM | Link to this
Benedict Arnold James played like crap last year in the playoffs with the Cavs when they were the best team in the NBA. Was he dogging it? He does not deserve anything and is lucky that the Lakers and Celtics got old. This championship needs to have a huge asterisk next to it to show that they combined a bunch of talent to win it. It is hollow. He better never plan to return to Ohio as he is persona non grata forever. You worshipers should move out of this state and go somewhere that this scum is.
By Charice
June 7, 2011 4:06 PM | Link to this
Lebron. Lebron. Lebron. I have had the pleasure of seeing him play on several occassions. Cleveland fans are selfish in my opinion. Ionly viited the dilapidated town to see King James play. Get over yourselves Cleveland. He’s a kid playing a game with a goal: winning. Is that so hard to fathom?
By RudyFlyer
June 7, 2011 3:47 PM | Link to this
Labron is one of the greatest talents of all time and his game is more Magic than Michael or Kobe. So, you are right, he does more than score and he has completely taken the Jet out of the game. And, the Rose wilted under the same pressure. LeBron is the reason the Heat are where they are and he defers to Wade to score because Wade is a great scorer. People need to stop comparing him to Jordan and Kobe because, again, he is a bigger, stronger, more athletic version of Magic. He should be given credit for his all around talent and knowledge of the game. And, yes, he appears to be a pampered, immature, self centered person. But when you are anoited the “King” as a HS player, what do you expect.
By NBA is the new WWF
June 7, 2011 2:09 PM | Link to this
Le Me is about Le Me. NBA is about the market not the game. And Le Me is a very marketable item that brings $$ to the NBA. Anyone can be on a winning team when colluded. If the Heat wins - so what. Any one can buy and collude to get a trophy. NBA has become a joke.
By Stab the Cavs
June 7, 2011 1:41 PM | Link to this
As long as he doesn’t set foot in Cuyahoga Co. he will be fine.