FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Congradulations Spurs. Congradulations Tim Duncan and Gregg Popavich on your 4 titles. Congradulations Robert Horry on your 7th. Congradulations Michael Finley one your 1st. Congradulations Tony Parker for selling you soul to the Devil. 

Also thank you Cleveland for making the final game look good on the scoreboard. Other than no thanks for completely showing you that TO had more buisness being at the NBA finals than you did. Did the Spurs just joke around with that Cavs at the end? Kind of like a big brother that lets his little brother get a lead to give a little confidence....just before stepping it up and beating down his little brother again. Also no thanks to Lebron James for a 35% shooting performance in the NBA Finals including having 23 TO's and a jumper so bad I actually was seeing people guarding him yelling shoot.

Of course if you bring us to Lebron fans it's the same old story. He's only 22 years old. His teammates around him suck. He was playing Bruce Bowen and the Spurs. He made the Finals. He had 48 against the Pistons. He just had a baby...It is always something blinding the fact that A) Lebron James made 9 shots outside the paint B) He couldn't do something against superior talent.

I like Lebron James. I want to see him succeed because when he is at the top of his game he is amazing to watch. But in watching these playoffs they have been FAR too many people jumping all over this guy after one great performance. People were quick to give him his crown forgetting that A) The Pistons were missing Antonio Mcdyess B) Flip Saunders made no adjustments C) Lebron missed free throws at the end of the regulation that would have won the game. I know I sound like I am nitpicking but this is what we are suppose to do with superstars right. So Why does Lebron get a pass so much when he doesn't do well? Quick example, Brady Quinn did everything extremely well in college. He beat up on oppenents he was suppose to beat up on. He lead a ridiculous 4th quarter comeback against Michigan state. He was Reggie Bush arm length away beat a far better USC team. Yet one bad game against LSU and he slips from automatic number 1 pick to the 22nd in the NFL draft. Was is his fault his line couldn't block or his D couldn't stop JaMarcus Russell? Did anyone call Brady Quinn 22 years old? No questioned his arm strength and said that he couldn't play in big games. Yet in a sport that so much more team orientated Brady gets burned, but in a game that one man can make the biggest difference Lebron gets a pass for being uneffective in the NBA finals. Isn't Lebron James suppose to the next great in the NBA? People say how great it is that he led this "crappy" supporting cast to the NBA finals. Didn't that "crappy" supporting cast lead the league in offensive rebounding? Didn't that "crappy" supporting cast have the 5th best defense in the NBA in the regular season? Sure that supporting cast didn't help Bron when he needed it most, but the team shot 37% compared to Lebrons 35%? I know the Spurs were a far better team but did Lebron have a "f*** this, I'm winning this game" game the entire series? Did he have a quarter like that? It's not like it I am asking something no player has ever done. Deron Williams had 2 30-point games against the spurs and shot 50% for the series. I remember 6 years ago when Allen Iverson scored 48 in Game One against a Laker team that was undefeated in the playoffs at the time. 

Like I said I do like Lebron James, but I think people baby him to much because of his age. If he does something bad he is still learning, but if he does something amazing people are so quick to say "He's only 22 years old and putting up these numbers. Not even Jordan was this good at this point." 

(Quick Sidenote on the 4 year Lebron vs. MJ debate. Michael Jordan top five playoff games 4 years into the league: 1. 63-5-6 against Boston. 2. 55-6-3 against Cleveland 3. 50-7-2 against Cleveland 4. 49-4-2 Against Boston 5. 44-5-4 against Cleveland. Final playoff scoring Tally for Jordan after 4 seasons: 1 63-point performance, 2 other games with 50 or more, 3 other games with 40 or more, and 7 other games with 30 or more. Lowest point total at the time: 19)

I know this article seems like Skip Bayless type rant but is the same treatment other superstars get after their bad playoff performances. Am I saying anything different then what people said about A-rod when he hits below .200 in the postseason or when Kobe shoots 3 times in a half of a Game 7 or when Brady Quinn does bad against Ranked oppenents? I just think it time that Lebron gets the treatment