Passing The Roses: LeBron James

The NBA community should respect the King for the years of hard work and dedication that he has put into the game. LeBron James is clearly on the back end of his career as we are unaware when he will decide to hang his sneakers up. So while he is still an active NBA player, we should allow him to smell his roses for what he has done through 18 years.

It is time for casuals to stop listening to analysts who trash LeBron even when he’s been nothing but great for 18 seasons. While many narratives about LeBron’s failures surface on the Internet, people tend to forget the accomplishments and accolades he has achieved. The impact James has on the game is by far one of the greatest I have ever seen. Imagine being eliminated out of the first round and you’re still the topic of discussion through the course of an NBA Finals? That in itself shows the true importance of LeBron in the NBA.

St. Vincent-St. Mary: Where The King began to see stardom

James has been one of the biggest stories since his High School days at St. Vincent-St Mary. Just imagine the pressure that was placed on his shoulders as a teenager? James was a box office talent at 15 years old. He became so popular that his games had to be relocated to bigger gyms. Of course, big spotlight games on national television come with a big responsibility. The biggest factor for James in his teenage years was his maturity and ability to perform on a nightly basis even before he entered the NBA.

Beginnings of his career

Fast forward to the beginning of the 2003–04 season, where the pressure officially begins for King James. He continues to wear the number 23 on his jersey, which we know the legend in Chicago made famous after winning six championships in the 1990s. The question was and still is can he live up to the hype of Michael Jordan? Although Kobe Bryant at the time was the closest comparison to Jordan, James was expected to exceed as a generational talent. The Cleveland Cavaliers were pathetic through his rookie year, but James set the tone by displaying decent effort in his first campaign.

The first game of James’ career against the Sacramento Kings was a show for the ages. He starts the game hitting mid-range jumpers from both sides of the baseline, allowing himself to elevate over defenders tremendously. The biggest factor for James in his first game was the fact that he could dictate everything on the offensive end. He set up players for open looks and it allowed the game to come to him scoring-wise. James would finish his NBA debut with 25 points along with 9 assists on 60 percent shooting. It was only the beginning for him and what else he had to offer in the NBA.

After a few years, James would continue to elevate the Cavs as a franchise. After the parting of former head coach Paul Silas, Mike Brown would step in as the Cavs would eventually make the playoffs in 2006. The more James played, the more popular he became. No, he didn’t grow into his complete game, but he was playing at an elite level that could eventually place him as the best player in the NBA. The 2007 Finals for many helped LeBron continue to grow as one of the best players in the world. He showed that he could take a team of role players deep in the playoffs. At this point, James was officially a superstar, having the most success of any young NBA All-Star player.

As a superstar who is trying to seek greatness, there were obstacles that James faced. After the 2007 NBA Finals, James and the Cavaliers would struggle to make it out of the Eastern Conference. They were dominated in 2009 against the Orlando Magic, while the same occurred against the Boston Celtics in 2010.

It’s not secret that James grew frustrated with the Cavs’ front office. Yes, he led a borderline team to the best record in the NBA twice. But he couldn’t overcome Boston’s big three by himself. This was where James made probably one of the most difficult decisions of his young NBA career, by announcing to join the Miami Heat to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

“The Decision”: Transition to Miami and becoming a true leader

The first year in Miami didn’t end too well for James and the Heat. They were dominated by the Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki. The question afterwards was how did D Wade play a part in transforming LeBron’s career? Wade allowed James to be the franchise cornerstone for Miami after the 2011 Finals. With that being said, the Heat displayed historic performances from a 27 game winning streak, while repeating as champions in 2012 and 2013.

James finally overcame his drought after leading the Heat to the championship in 2012. But not everyone was too happy about it. It was the beginning of the LeBron James hate train when he decided to go to South Beach. The decision left thousands of fans angered and it forced James to become a villain of the NBA. How could a young prospect who was expected to be great turn into the worst thing in the NBA? Well, that’s what happens whenever a player makes the decision that can benefit them in winning a championship elsewhere.

Regardless of how people feel about The Decision 11 years later, James impacted the NBA by allowing players to take control of what takes place in free agency. We’ve seen Kevin Durant sign with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 and Brooklyn Nets in 2019 both as a free agent. It’s the same scenario with how Kawhi Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers as well. James’ decision may have received many criticisms during that time. But in the end, it helped players have more control of their careers.

Keeping his promise for Cleveland

Transitioning into 2015 where LeBron James makes his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coming off of four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, James proved that he can lead the way for a championship contender and be the X factor in a deep playoff run. So how could he implement some of the championship DNA in a young Cavs team? Leading by example on the floor.

James led the Cavs to the Finals for his fifth consecutive year. In this go-around, he would face a young dynasty in Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in the six-game series. He did everything he possibly could as he was without his two co-stars, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Golden State was able to take advantage of the Cavs being short-handed and dominated in Games 4–6 of the series.

The next season, however, these two teams would meet again in the NBA Finals. The Cavs knew they could compete with a 73–9 Warriors team with their full army together. Even as they went down 3–1 in the series, after Game 5 they never looked back. Everyone brings up Kyrie’s sensational game-winner to close the series in Game 7. But what people fail to acknowledge is James scoring 41 points in both Games 5 and 6, alongside a triple-double in Game 7 and a clutch block on Andre Iguodala to clinch the series.

James set the tone for the Cavs by playing with a more sense of urgency, understanding what was at stake. As the rest of the team followed, the Cavs took the Warriors’ confidence away from them. Also, Draymond Green’s game five suspension didn’t help Golden State either. James leading the way was what gave the Cavs the first 3–1 series comeback in NBA Finals history along with the city of Cleveland’s first NBA title in over 52 years. “CLEVELAND, THIS IS FOR YOU!”

The following offseason, the Warriors acquired Kevin Durant in free agency (as I mentioned earlier). Durant’s presence in Golden State made the NBA very one-sided, to say the least. With Kyrie requesting a trade out of Cleveland, James wasn’t able to overcome the Warriors in the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals. Without the firepower to beat Golden State alongside Front Office issues (again), James would leave Cleveland in free agency in 2018 by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now in Los Angeles…

While many Laker fans are somehow upset with LeBron’s decision to join the team, his contributions have helped transition the franchise back to a championship contender. James led the Lakers to an NBA Championship in 2020 while playing alongside Anthony Davis.

After missing the playoffs his first year with the team, James made sure to help the team regroup tremendously. As the year of 2020 was filled with so many obstacles, the Lakers winning the NBA title made things sweeter to celebrate. The team had to battle the difficult process of COVID-19 and being isolated in the NBA Bubble.

Conclusion: It is time to appreciate LeBron James

LeBron James has nothing left to prove at this stage of his career. He currently stands as a four-time champion, two-time MVP, 17 Time NBA All-Star while also having eight straight trips to the NBA Finals from 2011–2018. James has done everything right through the course of his career. He has never cheated the game and gave 100 percent each game during the prime of his career.

Sure, James’ 4–6 NBA Finals record will never allow him to eclipse the great Michael Jordan. But the rest of his resume matches up to all-time great status. It is time that people turn off the tv and analyze how they view the game from their perspective. The narrative of James not being an all-time great is disturbing and should be eliminated from all conversations. With everything that he has accomplished, James will certainly have his face join the NBA Mt Rushmore one day and should be appreciated for the greatness that he has given for 18 plus seasons.

The best thing about LeBron James is that he still has a few years left in the tank. I’m not saying that he can dominate the NBA as he has in years past. But he can still play at a high level to the point where he can keep the Lakers afloat as playoff contenders. James’ career is slowly crawling into the sunset before he decides to hang it up. What people do not understand is how much the NBA will change once he steps away from the game.