in order to get over to choad’s to smash bros, i give you the re-up, 2 hours ahead of schedule:

Are we setting ourselves up for a let-down? Simply put, yes. How can you argue otherwise? With the unbelievable amount of hype swirling around Lebron James right now, a failure to perform in the NBA finals couldn’t be classified otherwise. However, I don’t think setting ourselves up for let-down is necessarily a bad thing. Instead of wondering what will happen if they lose, lets look ahead to what it will be like if Lebron goes on to lead the Cavs to victory, with spectacular performances along the way. IF Lebron can pull off what would absolutely be a HUGE upset of the Spurs, the buzz surrounding him will be 100X the incredible levels it is right now. 25 years from now, this seasons NBA finals might be most comparable to the Ali vs Liston boxing match of 1964, when The Greatest won his title for the first time. I can only read about the buzz back then, but as far as I’m concerned, risking a big let-down if Lebron loses is well worth the chance to experience a buzz like that first hand.

Could Lebron POSSIBLY be THAT good? Again, YES. If you watched the Eastern Conference Finals, you most likely agree. If you didn’t, start watching now for the ESPNclassic replays, it’ll be worth it. In six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Lebron James averaged (per game): 25.7 points, 8.5 assists, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.7 steals. If the numbers alone don’t mean much to you, the story behind them will. Games 1 and 2 were in Detroit, where the Pistons were one of the toughest teams to beat all season. The Cavaliers lost both games, both by the score of 76-79. Lebron James came under massive criticism after game 1 for passing the ball in the closing seconds to a WIDE OPEN teammate for a three point shot. Every analyst on the planet came down on Lebron for not taking the last shot himself (Was Jordan wrong for passing the ball to Steve Kerr to let him finish off the Jazz in the Finals in 1997?). In game 2, Lebron was presented with the exact same situation, where he took this shot himself and missed, sending the Cavs to a 0-2 series defecit that no one thought they could overcome. Games 3 and 4 were victories for the Cavs back in Cleveland, where Lebron played stellar basketball to get the Cavs to a 2-2 series tie. The real definining moment of Lebron James’ young career came in game 5 in Detroit. Lebron’s final stats for that game: 48 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists. But they do not tell nearly the whole story. From the midway point of the fourth quarter through the end of the game (after two overtimes), Lebron scored 29 of his team’s final 30 points. 29 of 30 and the final 25 points for one team were scored by one man. Unbelievable barely tells the tale. The Pistons had adopted an anti-Lebron defense, consisting of packing everyone into the lane and having all 5 Detroit players stare at Lebron as he worked at the top of the key. Their goal was to prevent Lebron from penetrating into the lane and finishing at the rim which he does like no one else. What they accomplished was to ratchet up the degree of difficulty ratings on Lebron’s highlight film. Lebron beat Detroits anti-Lebron defense in every way they thought he couldn’t. When he wasn’t making it rain all over Michigan with step-back and pull-up jumpers that touched nothing but nylon, he was driving right down the land through all 5 defenders en route to absolutely re-d0nck’Z-ulous dunks. It was the most amazing performance I’ve ever seen in a basketball game, INCLUDING all of the games I’ve seen on ESPNclassic. You may say, how can one game define a man so? Watch it. You’ve never seen one man dominate an entire team that was that focused on stopping him like he did before. Not the way he did it. As icing on the cake, Lebron proved in game 6 of the series that he is about the team-first before himself. Following his coming-out party in game 5, everyone expected to see Lebron take over from the opening tip of game 6 en route to another historical performance. What people got was Lebron routinely passing off to his teammates who stepped up to make big shots all game long and send Detroit home, not for a game 7, but to get their golf games in line for the rest of the summer. Is Lebron the best? Only time will tell, but I say that what he did in game 5 was way beyond even his astronomical expectations, so those expectations for him to be one of the all-time greats seem pretty reasonable to me.

What if the Cavs lose? If the Cavs lose, Mrs. Gloria James, whose name resides on the monstrous biceps of her son Lebron, will probably shed some tears. She probably won’t be the only one. The city of Cleveland, toyed with but then disappointed by its sports teams for decades, will probably have more waterworks than the space between Marvin Gardens and Ventnor Ave. on a Monopoly board. What WON’T happen if the Cavs lose the 2007 NBA finals is Lebron James bowing out of the NBA finals for good. Believe me, he’ll be back. The man is just now getting to the point where he’s older than the rookies in the league. Injuries aside, he will be in the NBA for at least another 10-12 years, and he’s on a youthful team that will only get better, just like him. In fact, if Lebron and the Cavs do indeed lose the NBA finals, its my guess that Lebron will respond the same way he responded from losing games 1 and 2 against Detroit. He’ll come back to answer all critics and exceed all expectations. If the Cavs lose, look for Lebron to sweep the regular season MVP and NBA finals MVP next year en route to his first title.

Does Lebron really deserve the comparissons, so much attention and so much praise before winning a single NBA title? When thinking about history, people (including me) compare Lebron James to Michael Jordan because Jordan was the best without question, and people think Lebron might be the best when he is all done. When people break down Lebron’s actual basketball skills, you might say that he’s actually closer to NBA legend Magic Johnson because of his unique combination of size and speed with an understanding of the game that allows him to create scoring opportunities for his teammates whenever he doesn’t feel like scoring himself. The question remains, has Lebron earned the right to be named with MJ and Magic before he ever wins an NBA title? Does he deserve the accolades that are being thrown at him like D’s on a caddy? I say yes, yet again. Lebron has been playing in the national spotlight since he was 17. His regular season high school basketball games were on national TV and probably more watched than NBA games at the time. He’s turned around the Cleveland Cavaliers, who before him, were seen on TV most commonly because one of MJ’s most heroic shots was rained all over their face nearly 2 decades ago. Lebron James’ statistics are mind-boggling in his first 4 seasons. In 316 career games, Lebron has averaged more than 25 points, more than 6 rebounds, and more than 6 assists per game. Based solely on those numbers, he belongs in a class with the all-time NBA greats. Statistics alone earn him the right to be hyped, the right to be compared to anyone. Take into consideration the pressure that has been put on Lebron of being tabbed as an NBA great from the age of 15, being in the national spotlight since he was 17, having an entire team and an entire city rely on him every night to win for them, AND to stay out of trouble despite the copious amounts of cash he has to drop wherever he feels like it. Put the numbers together with the circumstances of his young career, the undeniable charisma that he carries with him, and the unforgettable performances we are seeing on the court during these playoffs, and you would be insane NOT to hype the man; NOT to look at how he stacks up with the best of all time. Whether you’re a fan of basketball or not, you would be wise to do yourself a favor and if you can’t watch, at least get on the web and read about Lebron in the NBA finals this year. Whether or not he has his chair (an NBA title), Lebron James truly is the new King of the NBA castle.