LeBron and Cavs Are Complete Fakes

Watching the Cleveland Cavaliers this postseason was a complete embarrassment to the NBA, especially considering how they acted and played during the regular season. Prior to the season, the Cavs acquired Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most charismatic and outspoken individuals, to go along with the NBA’s most marketable superstar, LeBron James. They needed to make a splash after the Orlando Magic overwhelmed the Cavs in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals and decided to go all-in for the 2009-10 season, considering LeBron James’s impending free agency. Owner Dan Gilbert, the front office, the players, and fans all believed that the Cavs would be the overwhelming favorites to win a championship this season and bring a title to a starving Cleveland fan base.

The Cavs played the regular season like they were the clear juggernauts of the NBA. Throughout the season, the Cavs absolutely man-handled their opponents, as they coasted to a league-best 61-21 record, including a 35-6 home record. In addition, their midseason acquisition of Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards (for no cost) added offensive firepower to an already explosive team. They outscored opponents by an average of seven points per game and had the league’s MVP in LeBron James, who averaged 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists. The regular season success led to an excited fan base, as the Cavs sold out every home game for the first time in franchise history. In addition, the players seemed to mesh very well together, as they were often seen dancing around, talking, and laughing on a consistent basis. Everything was set up for a Cavs championship run.

However, everything changed once the playoffs started. From the first-round series against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavs never looked like the same team everyone saw in the regular season. There was no more dancing around, more tension on the sidelines, and a poor exhibition of teamwork. As a result, though the Cavs defeated the Bulls in five games, the Cavs were ungracefully eliminated from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics in the second round. In the Celtics series, the Cavs lost the last three games, including the last two in merciful fashion. The primary reason for the loss? LeBron James, whose attitude and play negatively contributed to the team’s efforts.

In the final three games of the series, James accumulated a combined 19 turnovers and did not play with the same sense of urgency that he displayed in the regular season. Throughout the past twelve months, James kept saying that nothing short of a championship this season was acceptable, and that he would do everything in his power to get one. He did just during the regular season, as he held himself accountable for the team’s successes and failures, while developing a chemistry with his teammates that was unparalleled. However, his demeanor changed completely in the playoffs. He never displayed any sort of on-court leadership with his teammates when his team needed him the most. For instance, during the lopsided loss in game 5, James acted indifferent throughout the game, even though his team was losing. He stood away from the action, took only 14 field goal attempts, never displayed a sense of urgency, was unwilling to take over the game, and most notably, never brought his teammates together to fix the problems.

Clearly, the Cavs were not the same team everyone saw in the regular season. They acted completely differently both on and off the court. All of the dancing, communicating, and laughing that everyone kept seeing in the regular season was nonexistent in the playoffs. The chemistry and bond between the players could not be seen either, as the Cavs were unable to make the necessary in-game adjustments. This change in attitude reflected LeBron James’s indifferent demeanor, as the league MVP never took action when his team needed him most. Furthermore, this postseason has proved that James should not be linked or compared to the all-time greats, such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Although James may be statistically superior or on-par to these two legendary guards, he does not display the willingness to win in the biggest stages. There is a reason why Bryant and Jordan each have four and six championships, respectively. When their teams needed them the most in most calling circumstances, both players stepped up when they needed to. James has a long way to go to match up with these legends and if he continues to display an unmotivated demeanor, he may never get a championship.