One of the problems with today's 24-hour-coverage-media-marketing-age is that some players are annointed based on looks, potential, a smooth jump-shot, or a large fanbase, while others fail to receive recognition year after year with results such as playoff wins and championship rings.
Lebron James has unique abilities I won't argue that, but he also has huge holes in his game. He's got a streaky jump shot, he's a below average free throw shooter (career %72 ) , he doesn't fight for offensive rebounds and for a guy who's supposedly got the passing game of Magic Johnson his assist to turnover rating is similar to Delonte West's at about 2 to 1. By the way, have I mentioned he's 6'8 and has one season (out of 5) where he's averaged more than one blocked shot per game?
These things go unnoticed year after year because he makes enough "Wow" plays and scores enough points that he's more marketable than say a James Posey - who changes his game on a nightly basis for his team. One night Posey is a defensive stopper, the next night he's a three point specialist, sometimes he's guarding a shooting guard, sometimes he's playing at power forward, the ONLY thing that really wow's you about the guy is how gosh darn good he is at whatever he's focusing on that specific night.
So here's my point: If you watched nothing but ESPN or read nothing but the major sports writers you'd be absolutely shocked to learn that Posey has won championships on three diferent teams (being absolutely integral) while Lebron has never won an NBA championship. The supposition I guess is "It's just a matter of time for Lebron" while the same supposition was made for Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley. I think it's crucial to remember why they play this 82 game season with endless playoffs... For championships. That's the ultimate goal in a game that is all about goals.
So while Lebron get's all the publicity to say whatever he wants, he really hasn't earned the right to say it. The difference with a guy like James Posey is that he HAS earned the right to talk, but he won't. He doesn't have time because right now he's too focused on winning another championship.
There are no shortage of folks here who will vouch for the fact that I'm in the running for world's largest James Posey booster - perhaps to the point of nausea for some of our readers (what can I say, I love the guy and wanted him back badly). That said...
To compare Posey and LeBron James with the "Posey changes his game on a nightly basis for his team" - with the "for his team" addendum certainly appearing as though it's implied as a knock on LeBron in comparison - is patently absurd. LeBron is one of the three or four basketball players on the planet. A big part of that is his diverse skill set - the scoring, the rebounding, the beautiful passing vision, the fact that he's gotten progressively better defensively - and his size and on-floor leadership. Like every other player in the league, he hasn't perfect and he has some room for improvement.
So he's human. And he occasionally rubs some folks the wrong way. Neither of those two qualifications make the Posey 'comparison' (as it were) anywhere in the vicinity of "called for."
Count me on the wagon for believing that if our beloved boys in green had featured LBJ as sixth man instead of Pose last year, I'm thinking LBJ might have been the one with the ring this past June.
Garnett is different, he trash talks no doubt, but he's a team player. He does what makes the team better and gets them pumped up. Bird was the same way, and if I could choose either one over Lebron I would.
LeBron isn't a team player? Everyone gets on him because he defers at the end of game, that he gives up the ball too much. His defense has improved every year, he was the unquestioned leader of the Team USA team, and he has never moped about having a terrible team. He's asked for their to be action but hes enough dragged his feet and not given a 100%. Ive never heard any complaints of Lebron being a bad teammate going back to his days at Saint Vincent. But back to the fundemental issue, we have no idea what Gabe Pruitt might of done to LeBron before hand, what their history is, I mean really, its a basketball game a million things could of lead to Lebron making fun of Gabe.
TP, stuntin. Couldn't agree more.
-sw
Topic: Lebron James opinion of Pruitt (Read 17873 times)