LeBron James, the self-incarnated King and/or the Chosen One, made my dislike list on Day One. That young man, who looked really old from day one, announced that he would show leadership to lead the team to victory/success in a conference before he set feet on NBA court. I mean, what kind of super balloned size of ego do you have, to make such announcement as a rookie? How much do you have to be over yourself to be so arrogant? I know you are talented, and your physical gift is God-send, but come on, ever heard of modesty or behaving?
That guy has jumped into my unfavorite list from day one. Since then, I started to join the army to scrutinize everything he does or everything he doesn't do; I started to root against him; I started to love to see him fail; I started to spin everything negatively towards him; I started to enjoy those Schadenfreude, even he was suffering from personal matters (like his mother and DeLante West). But instead of him being failed, I was the one who fails more than often. Since LeBron has entered the NBA, he's been on front page in every season. He has shown his tremendous basketball skills and IQ, and he has brought great success to his team and himself. No, he hasn't won any championship, but Karl Malone (I hate him as well) and Charles Barkely never won the title, they are still widely considered top 5 power fowards in NBA history. John Stockton has nenver won any title, and that doesn't stop him enjoy the respect to be top 3 point guard of all time. LeBron has brought his Cleveland team into the Finals twice. He fell short in both occassions, but boy, that was some achievements with the supporting cast he had.
He's a two-way player, just like MJ, Magic, or Pippen, and he doesn make his teammates better with the attention he's drawn and his ability to set teammates up. The only knock on him, so far I have been enjoying, is the so-called killer instinct at most crucial moment. For LeBron, everything is different, and so is the tall order. Anything beyond championship considers a failure, and any missed shots in the closing moments of the finals considered unclutchness. He had plenty of those 绝杀，in regular seasons or even playoffs or even conference finals. But he didn't succeed to get that precious metal. He was labled as unclutch or melting under pressure, to certain extend, rightfully so. LeBron didn't do enough in last year's finals.
But this year, LeBron has won the MVP race with his complete game - in any aspect of the game. He has inserted himself as the clear-cut leader of the team, and took it from Wade. He was simply phenomenal and joyful to watch. The question remains, whether he can go over THAT hurdle? He's up 3-1 in the Finals now, and hes not won the title yet. I don't want to jinx him, but his odds looks pretty good now.
His "Decision" crap pissed me off even more while he was still on my most disliked list. But this year, instead of him riding Wade and Bosh, Wade and Bosh have been riding him. They faced a Pacers team with strong interior and young players, and they overcame Indiana. They faced experienced team in Celtics with Rondo emerging as a super star. They faced elimination in Boston on game 6. LeBron delivered. Oh boy, what a game, a complete and broad game from every single angel, and a game has earned a spot in NBA history. He was everything everyone has dreamed of for a basketball game, in that elimination game. He didn't smile, didn't taunt, but just went on his business - to win that game.
In the Finals, he's been playing at both ends, and he's been playing very good to great in every minute he was on the court, 4th quarter included. He has grown, from his experience, from his mistake. He's showing everyone why he's the MVP this season.
He has won me over, with his games.
Kevin Durant is a great young player, and his smoothiness in shots from any place on the court or his face up game, are already ahead of LeBron. But KD is not a complete player yet (it sound scary, that he still has a lot of room to grow and he will, with the threat he's posing), he has yet to develop a constant post game, and he has yet to improve at the defensive end. LeBron is a lot closer to be complete.
LeBron Jame hasn't won any ring yet, but I don't mind him winning any more, because he fully deserves it.
