I hate to be a hater, really I do. And this isn't taking up some bitterness on the part of the Wizards, who had their season ended by Cleveland for a third straight year. But seriously, LeBron James is not all that.
Spectacular athlete, great scorer, yes. But not even close to being the best player in the NBA. That's Kobe Bryant with Chris Paul making a strong case for himself.
LBJ simply isn't well-rounded enough to own that title. I started noticing this back in March. We were inside the Wizards locker room before a game and someone asked Gilbert Arenas who he would rather have, Kobe or LeBron. Agent Zero didn't even hesitate. Kobe. People were surprised and started asking why he had made up his mind so quickly and he said, "What, watch, all LeBron does is this:"
He stood up, dribbled between his legs in front of an imaginary opponent.
"He watches to see which way you're going to make him go and then," and then pretended to drive to the hole. "Kobe can do so much more," Gil said.
Mind you, Gil wasn't speaking out of bitterness. This was before the whole war of words between DeShawn Stevenson and LeBron started. And Gil and Bron are friends. They exchanged shakes and hugs throughout the whole series the last two weeks.
But either way, when I first heard Arenas' assessment, I thought it was a bit of an exaggeration, and maybe it is a tiny bit. But every time I saw LeBron on TV and then in the six games live against he Wizards, I saw Agent Zero is onto something. Seriously, you can sum up LeBron's game as a powerful driver. It's amazing that a 6-foot-9, 260-pound man can be as fast and explosive as he is. But THE best? No.
You watch LeBron and his drives and dunks are like "Wow, that's crazy." But that's about it. You watch Kobe and you're like "Wow, that dunk! OOOOOOH did you see that take? Daaaang, what a dagger. What a pass!" And Kobe has this cold, on-the-prowl assailant mode he goes in. LeBron can go on some tears, but that nastiness isn't there. Not when he's flopping around and forever trying to sell fouls to the referees.
So, he has to do two things before he can be considered THE best in the game.
1. He needs to work on his jump shot. The Wizards were able to do it only in short stretches, but the Celtics showed last night that if you make James be a jump-shooter, he'll throw up brick after brick. In the Cavs' 76-72 loss to the Celtics last night, LeBron was only 2-for-18. Two-for-EIGHTEEN? Really? That's embarrassing. Now, he will probably have about 20 games like that the rest of his career, but still. That's the key. Make him jump and -- for now -- he's a chump.
2. He needs to work on his toughness. I know you've got to do a bit of acting to get calls, but come on! In the Boston game last night, little ole Sam Cassell was called for a flagrant foul. Yes! 6-3, 185-pound SAM I AM a flagrant on big bad LeBron. James came driving down the lane and Cassell reached out and grabbed his jersey from behind. What happened? James' arms went flailing, legs went flying and he crashed to the ground and came up with what became a trademark move in the Wizards series: He was dabbing his lip and chin as if he got hit in the face. Uh, Sam grabbed you from BEHIND LeBron, and you landed on your backside. Your face is fine. For someone who says "I was built for this. I'm not 6-9, 260 pounds to shoot jumpers all night. I go to the hole and I create contact. Don't ever think I'm the only person feeling that," LBJ sure doesn't carry himself with a whole lot of toughness when he thinks he can draw a foul.
Eddie Jordan said it best: "LeBron's a terrific actor, we've seen his commercials." And the more I see him, The Big Crybaby label Tom Knott applied to him two years ago seems more fitting. Brendan Haywood was right in his "They're tryin' to hurt me," mock pouting.
So, until James develops a jump shot and stops acting and focuses on simply destroying his opponent instead of trying to constantly get help from the refs, he can't be the best in the league in my book.
Once he has those things in order, then man, what a nightmare he'll be. But for now, he still as work left to do.
Photo by Getty Images
-- Mike Jones
Comments (8)
I'm so glad you said it. This HAD to be said. You are 100% correct. I'm so sick of seeing him dab his lip with his pouting, crybaby face.
Posted by iamse7en | May 7, 2008 8:01 PM
Hmmm....well you are correct about LeBron needing to develop his jump shot but it ends right there. Compare LBJ's stats with Kobes'. And you'll see LBJ's numbers exceeds those of Bryants in points, assists, and rebounds. In the 2 games between the 2 teams this season (won both by the Cavs) LBJ took over guarding Kobe in the last 5 minutes and shut him down. Dont take my word for it....look it up. My .02 regarding the wizards is to resign Jamison and let Gil walk.....The wizards played and won without him. Take care.
Posted by Mick | May 8, 2008 2:05 AM
Speaking of crying...Kobe to Steven A Smith "Yes, I want to be traded." Talk about whining! You NEVER here LeBron saying that, and he has a bunch of stiffs on his team. Kobe dissed Andrew Bynum bad, and before his injury he was all of a sudden the best thing since sliced bread. Kobe is a giant primadonna, simple as that. He's trying to makeover his image as the "team player" now. LeBron is, and always will be a pass first player. The acting thing has evolved from getting beat on with no calls in the past. I like to call it the Shaq syndrom (you're too big and strong to get THAT call, so keep playing. I do agree that he needs to improve on his jumper which is getting better, as well as his free throws. But I know LeBron is a good person, and Kobe is a self-centered phony.
Posted by ctown18 | May 8, 2008 8:27 AM
Just stop. If someone from the Boston Globe had written this article, I might be a little less ticked. But Washington writers don't get to talk about Lebron until their team earns them that right. Until then, you're not credible.
One day, you're all gonna look back and remember, with awe, the span of this young man's career. You're gonna tell your kids how he spanked your team, year after year. And because he's the NEXT GREAT ONE, you'll be telling it as if you're almost pleased to have been part of it.
Believe me I know. I was a Cavs fan when Jordan took care of our championship dream. It WILL happen.
Posted by kay gee | May 8, 2008 9:46 PM
For someone who hates to hate, you sure are good at it. Your first point is valid. The jumper needs some refining. But to question his toughness is a flat out joke. He may sell calls during a game, but he is not the originator of that practice....see Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker....the list goes on. Flopping has been around for a long time. It makes refs blow their whistles, and with the team he has around him, he needs every whistle he can get. I have yet to see him cry and pout as Haywood and ditship Knott
have mentioned. The poster child for that is Tim Duncan.
Kobe is the best....Lebron is number 2...flat out. Kobe is much older and more experienced and does have that killer instinct....but he also has help, and plays in a proven system for arguably the greatest coach of all time. It speaks volumes for Lebron to be at the level he is with what he is working with. Have them switch places and Kobe would resort to isolating himself from teammates like he did before this season, pouting and demanding a trade, all the while probably averaging 40 while shooting 35 shots a game. Lebron in the triangle with Gasol, Odom, Fisher etc.....could probably make a run at averaging a triple double playing with teammates who regularly knock down open looks.
So basically....when he tightens up the J, gets some help and a coach with an offensive system that is not pick and roll for Lebron to go 1 on 4 THEN what a nightmare he will be...not that he is a pleasant dream right now.
You and Knott can get back to hating now. In the words of Katt Williams (another Ohioan)"It's good to have haters, that means you're doing something right."
Posted by OhioGee | May 9, 2008 2:04 PM
James had 27 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists to finish off the Wizards and you say he lacks a "well-rounded" game?
I'm sorry, but that statement DOES qualify you as a hater AND a
Wizards apologist.
Posted by Memnoch | May 11, 2008 11:52 PM
Hey wiz fans....let it go already. You got spanked. Get over it.
Posted by daver | May 13, 2008 11:50 AM
This whole crybaby thing is getting out of hand. It might be fun for Washington fans to paint LeBron this way. But if you're interested in the facts, here they are:
A bunch of under-acheiving semi-talented Wizards decided they'd TRY to get into a clearly superior players head. THEY said they would try to hurt LeBron every time he entered the paint. He didn't whine about it, quite the opposite - he merely stated that there plan was to try to hurt him (a simple statement of fact - this is what the wizards said) then he pointed out that it wasn't working. Basically, he called them out. They'd LIKE to be bullies except they're not strong or fast enough to stop him. When he was asked to respond to their taunts he responded like a man among children on the play-ground - "Caveliers 4 Wizards 2: Cleveland advances". He won't play your game and you can't play his. Thanks for providing another splendid warm-up for the Cavs playoff run.
As for Kobe - please. enough. LeBron's numbers are superior in scoring, assists (you know the part where you improve the players around you), rebounds, BLOCKS and STEALS! (you know - Defense?) He beat Kobe flat out man to man and team vs. team in their two meetings this year. Unless you're going to start singing the praises of the rest of the Cavs you have to admit there is no one better in the NBA.
Oh yeah, Gilbert is on to something: he's on to a self-pitying downward spiral of big words that he can't back up.
Posted by lebronisking | May 13, 2008 9:51 PM