AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > May > 31 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLeBron would make finals worth watching
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
That sound you hear is the NBA brass offering up prayers for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Another championship series between Detroit, a team with no real stars, and San Antonio, a team with a star who doesn’t act like one, would tax the league’s vaunted powers of promotion to the max. But if LeBron James should enter the mix, it’d be …
Michael Jordan all over again.
Or at least that’s how the NBA would sell it.
And the NBA, as we know, can sell its stars. The NBA, in point of fact, taught every other league how to do it. It was easy when those stars were bona fide — Michael and Magic and Bird — but in the gap following their departure the promotion became almost comical. Remember how Vince Carter was briefly the next Jordan? Remember Paul Hewitt’s famous dismissal of this ceaseless tub-thumping? “Shaq versus Yao — what’s that?” he said at the 2004 Final Four. “That’s not basketball. It’s tennis.”
But now there’s a chance the finals could be LeBron against the Spurs, and LeBron is one of only two players to enter the NBA in the new century — Dwyane Wade is the other — who possesses the combination of skill and style that defines a superstar. LeBron would be worth watching against anybody, and he now has a fighting chance to reach the finals. (Heck, if he’d gotten a foul call at the end of Game 2 the Cavs might be going for the clincher at Detroit tonight.)
Hey, I admit it. I’ve long since wearied of the NBA’s hard sell, but I’m pulling for LeBron. I guess I’m just like everybody else — I like stars, too.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment | Categories: Mark Bradley, Quick Hit
Comments
By Twan
May 31, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this
Matthew give me a call.
By Twan
May 31, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
Matthew give me a call.
By Steven
May 31, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this
A true fan of basketball. I like to see a team with talent in all areas and not one player who is over-hyped and has been praised since 13. The Lakers didn’t win their three straight rings because of Kobe and Shaq but key role players who contributed to the team effort of winning when it came down to the clutch. Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Brian Shaw..Just to name a few. My point is..it’s more than just star quality that makes a team win!!
By NorthStar
May 31, 2007 12:22 PM | Link to this
Thats the problem, Mark. It takes more than ONE SUPERSTAR to win championships. Other teams could learn something from Detroit and San Antonio. Those are teams with more than ONE STAR. That’s a whole lot better than ONE SUPERSTAR.
By floyd
May 31, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this
Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson - ALL TALENTED while winning 3 championships and not just a single person to do it….
By Eddie Powers
May 31, 2007 1:40 PM | Link to this
Somebody Please, tell the Atlanta Hawks to convince Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown that they will draft him at the number 3 spot. This is the big man they need. Then pick the 6’3 guard out of Texas (Acie Law) with the 11th pick. It makes no sense to look at trading picks when you can use them right. If they guarantee to select him at the three spot , I feel he will come out. Somebody please, call Billy Knight and pass this message on. I expressed once before that the Hawks should have at least look at signing Charlie Bell out of Michigan. A proven point guard that had won a National Championship. This is a must move.
By John
May 31, 2007 2:16 PM | Link to this
I think you guys are missing the point.. It’s about publicity and finally bringing in the Jordan-esque figure who is going to give teams like the aging but efficient spurs a serious problem. You can say Jordan had a good cast around him but how good were those guys without Jordan being Jordan… the answer is not very.. by the way, in regards to the Roy Hibbert comment.. he isn’t athletic at all and the last thing the Hawks need is a rebounder dragging his feet.. we’d be better off with Kwame Brown
By Pago Pago
May 31, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this
And who watches or even cares about the nba!?
By Mark Bradley
May 31, 2007 3:36 PM | Link to this
I like team play as much as anybody. (It’s why the Florida Gators were such a joy.) But my point was, as John suggests, about sizzle. And LeBron would supply the sizzle. As for Roy Hibbert: I’m sure the Hawks won’t draft him this month, and neither will anybody else. He withdrew his name from consideration.
By steve
May 31, 2007 3:48 PM | Link to this
Look, can you tell me one superstar who has been able to get his team to the Eastern Conference Finals with as little talent as the current Cleveland Cavs? Jordan had Scottie, Bird had Mchale, Magic had Kareem. Lebron’s second best teamate make 12 million dollars a year and scores 14 points a game. The cavs have so many obvious flaws that the fact that Lebron his led them this far is truly amazing…Put another star in Lebron’s place - D-Wade, Kobe, T-Mac…Do they even make it past the Nets with Vince, J-Kidd and Jefferson? Would they have a legitament shot at going to the Nba finals?
By WaCoJacket
May 31, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this
Put Kobe in the East with Mark Bradley, Sekou, myself, and Steve Wyche and he’s in the Finals EVERY YEAR!!!
Kobe is doing better than LaBron in the West Conference. If Kobe was in the East he’d been to Finals already.
By Jon
May 31, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this
Team play is exactly what LeBron James is all about. LeBron’s ability to energize and get his teammates involved in a game is what seperates his game from good players like Kobe and Iverson. That is why Cleveland actually has a chance to beat Detroit. LeBron’s game elavates his team, much like Jordon’s did, only Jordon relied more on scoring and LeBron relies more on his passing. It’s not one player beating five, it’s one superstar lifting his team to beat the other team.
By John
May 31, 2007 5:51 PM | Link to this
Look.. you don’t think drew gooden, larry hughes, and Ilgaulkus (sp?) are good players? They might not make much money and i can’t spit out their salaries but i’d match Lebron Hughes Zydrunas Gooden Snow and Verajao against the 1991 bulls of Jordan Pippen Grant Cartwright Armstrong and Paxson.. Everybody forgets in their quick to trade our young players talk that Lebron, Marvin, Carmelo, and all those guys are still really young.. Jordan didn’t win until almost 6 years into the league and he didn’t come in at 18 years old.. I might have contradicted myself at some point but the main thing I want for Atlanta is to hold on to as many of these young guys as possible because I think in one or two years they could be better than the baby bulls.. Goosfraba hotlanta
By TJSwann
May 31, 2007 11:29 PM | Link to this
I wish that the NBA stop trying to market Lebron. They are overdoing it. He’s good but not great. It’s like what the NBA did with Vince, Grant, Penny, Stackhouse and Iverson. The NBA needs more QUALITY teams.
By Wedgie Evans
June 1, 2007 12:15 AM | Link to this
Wow, was that great timing or what? Just about 12 hours after Bradley posts this, LeBron turns in one of the all-time greatest performances in playoff history. Nice going, Mark.
By B.Mo
June 1, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this
TJ Swann- it’s obvious you were posting this while the game was on and NOT watching the game at the time.
“Good but not great”? LOL
By R.Black
June 1, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this
B.Mo, I agree with TJSwann. He is good, but not great. If you knew you were going to get all of the calls, even when you just throw yourself on the floor without anyone touching you, you would play with a confidence that exceeded reason. The NBA really needs to stop marketing Lebron and others and return integrity and true team sportmanship back to the game of basketball. Being sent to the free throw line for flopping won that game; not his true talent. If he is as talented as you and others think he is, why then does he have to diminish that with all of the flopping and pretending on the court? We use to have a chant at my high school back in the day- “You have to cheat us, to beat us, and that aint right!
By Get Real
June 1, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this
All you LeBron vs Kobe guys need to consider a few things. First, Kobe may be a better all around player right now but LeBron is ONLY 22 years old. His game is modeled after the best-MJ- and he will only get better with time. Second, Kobe comes with alot of offcourt bagagge while LeBron is currently squeaky clean. After he dominated the floor last night, he gave all credit to his teammates. Kobe has as many fans that hate him as those who like him much because of the Colorado incident, his dissing of Shaq, and all his whinning. As a result, LeBron is a more marketable commodity and has tremendous upside. If I was building a team today, I would take LeBron over Kobe-no brainer.
That said, LeBron put on an amazing show last night. Detriot knew that he was the only one who could score yet they still couldn’t stop him. Some of those shots he took from the perimter were simply unconscious. Even his drives to the hoop were more difficult than the analysts made them seem. The NBA needs this guy to keep interest high.
By p
June 1, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this
Where did i read that more people watched the rain delay during the Indy 500 than watched the NBA conference final game on at the same time?
By Buck Cochran in the NW
June 1, 2007 2:06 PM | Link to this
Mark, the timing of your column was impeccable!
By El Caganer
June 1, 2007 6:56 PM | Link to this
You forgot to name a 3 time MVP and 3 time NBA champion who is on the path to possibly get his 4th championship. That man is Tim Duncan.
Of course since he is more substance than style he is seemingly over looked by the media and the NBA “star makers” also. Out of all of the NBA’s stars, even Kobe Bryant, he is the closest thing today to being the next “Michael Jordan”.
He is the type of player you would think the NBA would like to promote. He is not a thug and doesn’t get arrested for shooting a gun outside of a strip club. Instead he takes the back seat to flashy dunkers and/or people with thuggish “street cred”. Instead of being a “playa”, Duncan is a “player” who just wins championships.
By VRON
June 1, 2007 6:58 PM | Link to this
To the people who think Lebron James is not for real….”what are you smoking” and can I get some, lol…seroiusly, the guy has elevated himself with this win and the NBA really needs this!!! There always have to be WET TOWELS and SOUR GRAPES on the AJC blogs which contradict whatever someone does that is in fact spectacular….why is that! (more people watched the Indy 500 rain delay?)are you kidding and what world do you live?