Halftime Hype

Decades from now, records will show that Lebron James was the Most Valuable Player two years in a row. They will also show that those awards were won during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the records will also show that Lebron James did not win any championships in Cleveland. Whether you were in the Cavs' front office, Head Coach Mike Brown, a fan, or one of LBJ's teammates, you not only expected better, but deserved more. As the records in the media will prove, somewhere in the mix, Lebron lacked proper prioritization between basketball and business. In the process of contemplating his future, Lebron lost track of the immediate present.

One can imagine the collective disappoint in Cleveland right now, which Lebron may not be sensitive to because of his surroundings. Don't get me wrong, I just mentioned that the people around him must be frustrated. At the same time, they enlarged Lebron's ego to a point of no return. The media are people around him too, and he must understandably feel good about himself whenever he watches his array of highlights on ESPN, now known as LebronTV, according to rapper Wale.

Few members of the media have criticized him, particularly his offseason endeavors. "While Lebron spent his summer visiting music moguls and furthering his international brand via clothing and shoe chains, Kobe spent days in Houston refining his game by learning new post moves from one of basketball's all-time big men, Hakeem Olajuwon," as eloquently written by The Bleacher Report's John Haverford. Did anyone dare mention that he's been too distracted from the game during the regular season? Did the pundits ever stop proclaiming him the best player in the NBA? No, he's only been criticized after everything has crashed and burned. For his benefit, Lebron should welcome feedback, whether it's good or bad, to help keep things in perspective. Quite simply, the media has provided "The King" with a pedestal too high for his own good.

Two conflicting enterprises: Lebron James the brand,

and Lebron James the player

As a talented 24 year old who's within reach of becoming a billion dollar athlete, the next team he signs with is obviously a big deal. It's not something that should be spoken about candidly in press conferences, especially not before your contract year. I can understand how a youngster like Lebron could get caught up in the question, "Where are you headed?" After all, it can totally change the league's dynamics. In the end, the media is always going to be pushy for answers. Part of Lebron's job as a player is to stay focused, but he was already talking about his next destination over a year in advance.

The current frustration with James should be in equal parts directed toward this season's shortcoming as well as how much more Lebron could have devoted to the game and his team, and thus, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Didn't Lebron James learn from the Cavs' fall to Orlando last year? Despite the mediocrity of the Eastern Conference, there's no cruising to the NBA Finals. It almost seems like Lebron's teammates desire a ring even more than LB himself, and that shouldn't be the case. I wonder what it's like to be a Cleveland Cavalier. Unless you're Mo Williams, you'd never get any attention and barely be given the opportunity to succeed, since so many plays are drawn up for Lebron. Think about the young players like Jamario Moon and JJ Hickson who still strive to get better. They don't receive nearly much attention, but fulfill their job description. Lebron should've done the same thing.

If you're Head Coach Mike Brown, you've received the blame when times are tough and completely disregarded when things go well. Don't you deserve some more credit when you coach a team to 61 regular season wins? Shouldn't you draw praise for keeping everybody grounded, even when Lebron is strolling around with a New York Yankees cap? The person who really deserved more, though, is the Cavs' owner, Dan Gilbert. You're not paying Lebron James millions on top of millions to drop dead after the first round. Your team's best player shouldn't openly discuss with the media that he wants to leave your squad. You shouldn't have to bare "witness" to that.



A question for Cleveland fans: Would you rather see Lebron dance, have handshakes, look like he's having tons of fun, and then only withstand the first round or would you like to see Lebron with a signature glare, a fire in his eyes, grit his teeth when it's time to step up, and win a championship? The good times you've had choreographing dance moves with your teammates, is nothing compared to the joy the entire city of Cleveland would feel if you were to win the title. Believe it or not, the Most Valuable Player award is exponentially more meaningful if your team is successful. It's apparent that Lebron is still trying to figure out the limits of individuality in the team sport that is basketball.

The fact that Cleveland didn't get far is not solely Lebron's fault and isn't the end of the world. Lebron is an intelligent person and knows his playing days will come to a conclusion. He deserves to be commended for his business-savvy just as much as for his basketball abilities. From the day he was drafted until now, he has brought pride to Cleveland and established the Cavaliers as legitimate contenders. He has undoubtedly earned his MVP awards. It's great to see that Lebron has the brains to supplement his athletic nature. Perhaps, he could've followed the footsteps other player-businessmen, such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, who devoted much time to their brands after their playing days.

There's no doubt Lebron James works hard. He wouldn't be where he is, considered the best basketball player in the world, if he didn't. Countless articles and commentaries have chronicled how amazing he is, especially for his height. The issue so many are starting to have with LBJ is that he should have and could have worked harder; it's mind-blowing to think he had the potential to be even better. When Kobe Bryant won MVP but went on to be embarrassed by the Celtics in the NBA Finals, what did he do? The next season he came back with a burning desire, won a ring, and silenced all his critics. As I mentioned in this post, LBJ was too caught up in expanding Lebron James the brand, instead of perfecting Lebron James the player. Instead of silencing critics, Lebron has created them.