After Lebron walked off the court in Madison Square Garden in New York tonight, victorious in convincing fashion, landing nearly a triple double, it left many to wonder, is this where he will play next year?
In the sports era we live in today, it is very rare that someone finishes what they started on their own. KG went to Boston and won a ring with a trio of superstars. A-Rod goes to NY and wins a World Series with the help of possibly the greatest baseball lineup of all time. But who were the Cavaliers before Lebron came to town?
We see too much of the best players in the game going to the highest bidder then winning a championship. The Red Sox (Beckett, Ramirez) and Yankees(A-Rod, Damon, Teixeira) do it in baseball. The Lakers (Gasol, Odom) and Celtics (Garnett, Allen) do it in basketball. None of the players mentioned save Beckett (on the Marlins) have been a main component on their original team.
Lebron was drafted in 2003 by the Cavs with the first overall pick. The season before his debut the Cavs were 17-65 finishing last in the conference. They hadn't made the playoffs in 4 seasons. It has only been uphill from there. There is still some hill to climb; the summit has yet to be reached. The last #1 draft pick to lead their team to a championship was Tim Duncan, drafted in 97, championship in 99. Duncan has been and probably will be a Spur for life. His legacy is still growing, but he will be known as one of the best power forwards in the history of the NBA.
Lebron can do this. He will win an NBA championship before his career is over. It seems as if he is maybe 1-3 years away. He brought the Cavs from nobodies to certain somebodies. It would be reassuring to see a star as enormous in all realms of the sport (basketball skill, social skill, marketing skill) to stick with what he started, the the same market, with the same fans and beat the rest of the league to be the best. Don't jump ship like so many sports stars do and take the easier path to a championship. Sure the lights of New York would be nice, the fame of LA, the beaches of Miami. But thats what everyone does. Don't be everyone Lebron. Your legacy will thank you.
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Some of greatest players have stayed with their respective cities and it creates such a personal relationship between fans and players. Unfortunatly not everyone is like us Philadelphians. Our players prob love us just as much as we love them, win or lose, as long as they show they care as much as we do, thats all we ask for...
ReplyDeleteIverson is back and now i m a basketball fan again, losing a player like that destroyed the Sixers fan base for so long, regardless of their under 500 playoff apperances.
Iverson thoughts?