LeBron's Legacy

   

LeBron's 4 MVP Awards

     The best player in the NBA has been dominating the league since he was 18 years old. For 10 years, he has been the most dynamic player in the league averaging 27.6 points per game, along with 7.3 rebounds and 6.9 assists. Since entering the professional ranks, he has accomplished things that only him and Michael Jordan have been able to do over the course of their basketball careers. 4 Time MVP, Reigning NBA Champion, Reigning Finals MVP, 2 Time Reigning Olympic Gold Medalist, 9-Time All NBA Selection, NBA Scoring Champion, Father, Philanthropist, 6-8 250 lb, LeBron James.

Michael Jordan's Rings (Count Them Up)

     Despite all of this success, LeBron James continues to come under fire for one reason: Winning. As a child prodigy, James has been compared to Michael Jordan ever since he entered the NBA. To the old-timers, and to a certain degree the new generation, Michael Jordan is an untouchable figure. No matter what anyone does, there will still be those that believe he is far and away the greatest to ever touch the court. It is hard to argue with 6 rings and 5 MVP awards, but he has become somewhat of a Chuck Norris-Like figure in the eyes of his fan base. LeBron James is an outstanding player that is in a class of his own at this stage of his career, but he is playing in a different era than Jordan, and comparisons truly do not work well across those types of barriers. Bill Russell is the king of the 60s. Kareem in the 70s. Magic and Bird in the 80s. Jordan in the 90s. Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan shared the 2000s. This decade belongs to LeBron. It is his own, and should not be compared to any other player. As we all know, he has no regard for human life.

LeBron vs Paul George

     Tonight, the Miami Heat will face the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Some would say this is critical juncture in the career of LeBron James, because a loss would forever taint his legacy. Soon after joining the Miami Heat, a now-infamous pep rally where LeBron James claims that he will win multiple championships, "Not 1, Not 2..." All the way through 7 championships is being cited by many sources. Now, it is being speculated that if the Heat lose tonight, there will be no big three next season, and LeBron will end up leaving the Heat with 1 title in 4 years. ESPN's DJ Steve Porter made this famous auto-tune mash-up to sum up his first season with the Heat. Last year, the critics were silenced, and nobody had anything bad to say about LeBron or the Heat. This season, during the regular season, the Heat won 66 games and went on a 41-1 tear that shocked the world. However, a couple injuries here, a couple bad plays there, and here they are, the same situation as last season: Game 7 at home in the Conference Finals. However, this time, they don't have the momentum. 

LeBron's latest SI Cover

My Prediction

A lot is being made of the fact that Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, perennial all-stars and superstar talents, are averaging just over 25 ppg combined during his series vs the Pacers. With the Birdman back to challenge Roy Hibbert in the middle, Wade and Bosh will provide a boost, 35 points combined between the 2 of them. LeBron will do his thing as usual, something around 30 points. The X-Factor will be the role players: Chalmers, Allen, Cole, Haslem, and Battier/Miller. At least 2 of these players will have to score in double figures, because as we have seen, when Haslem is making his jump shot, or Allen is hot from 3-point range, or Cole and Chalmers are driving to the basket, this team is virtually unbeatable. Miami Heat win this win in a close game, despite heroic efforts from Paul George and Roy Hibbert, 100-93.

So the question stands. When it is all said and done, what will be LeBron's Legacy?