At roughly 10:30 p.m. on December 2nd, 2010 the career of LeBron James (you may have heard of him) will be irrevocably changed. How? I won’t even try to guess, but he will either prove his mental toughness and reveal an edge never seen before or fold under the pressure of returning to the court he once ruled like a king. You can bank he’ll be tossing that powder, but it’s coming from the other side.
When has the man ever faced adversity? In High school? Of course not, he was heralded as the second coming of Michel Jordan since the age of fifteen. In College? Oh right, he skipped that part. During his rookie season? Are you kidding, he made winning rookie of the year look as easy as employee of the month at McDonalds. His most trying moment: last year during the aforementioned collapse against the Boston Celtics when he looked about as engaged as a second grader in her first soccer game. He quit on his teammates, his coach, and the fans that saw him as nothing less than the basketball messiah.
Hyperbole much, you ask? Of course, but there is little doubt that this game will have a profound impact on the 26 year old James. He’s going into the Lion’s den, striding into an inferno, walking into the bowels of Hell…use any cliché you want, really. A man that has been pampered since the very day he was recognized as the next great basketball talent is about to feel the full venom of a passionate fan base that feels more betrayed than Julius Caesar.
The seething hatred Cleveland fans felt after “The Decision” was something any dedicated sports fan can relate to. They owned LeBron James, he was all theirs to enjoy, to experience. Remember that massive poster in downtown Cleveland: “We Are All Witnesses”? The one they immediately tore down after LeBron graciously informed the world he would be taking his talents to South Beach? Yeah-that’s my point. He’s no longer the City of Cleveland’s…and he will be informed of that in a not-so-gracious manner. Need proof of the venom? http://twitter.com/cavs_chants. http://cleveland.sbnation.com/2010/7/8/1560112/lebron-james-jersey-burning-cleveland-cavaliers. http://ihatelebronjames.com/. I think you get the idea…
What The King does in this game defines who he is. That’s the truth. He can either feed off the negative energy like a Michael Jordan and go into complete eff-you mode or he will wilt (no pun intended) and submit another dreadful pressure packed performance. LeBron needs this night to be great…he needs to go into single-man-virtuoso-evisceration mode. He’s got one more home game against the Cavs this season…but it won’t have near the impact that his first homecoming will. This is his chance to show his grit, prove his mental toughness…he’s got this one chance…
Some possible scenarios:
1. LeBron single-handily eviscerates the Cleveland Cavaliers…he literally walks up to Dan Gilbert thrusts his hand into his chest, tears out his heart, and feasts on the flesh of the man that now despises him (ok, maybe a little overboard). This would be an eff-you message like we’ve never seen…it would tell us a lot about LeBron James. I’m talking about something like a 46-11-7 or a 36-14-11. An incredible performance, one that we all know the King is fully capable of.
2. The opposite happens: King James throws up something like a 15-6-7 with a handful of turnovers and putrid shooting…like he did last season in Boston. This would be the ultimate worst-case scenario and would have an undeniable effect on LeBron for a longgg time. Imagine returning to the place where you delighted 60,000 rabid fans with your immense talent for seven years, broke their hearts, only to return and stink up the place with one of your worst games as a pro. The ultimate embarrassment. I don’t know how the pampered king would recover…
Michael Jordan reacted to pressure/tough road games like 70,000 people were pouring red bull down his throat…and the same can be said for Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan and several other greats. We know LeBron James is one of the most exceptional basketball talents ever…will he be considered among the toughest?
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