LeBron: As good as advertised
Big week for NBA stars in Charlotte: It's James tonight, Kobe on Friday
RON GREEN JR.
When the subject is LeBron James, what is there to say that hasn't already been said?
Scrolling through the testimonies to the Chosen One, here is what has been said about him:
• "It's like seeing the Beatles," said Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, who probably falls into the Led Zeppelin category himself.
• "He's as good as advertised. Maybe better," said NBA Commissioner David Stern, who admittedly has been guilty of over-selling his product, though not in the case of King James.
• "The exception to almost every rule," George Karl said.
When LeBron takes the court tonight against what's left of the Charlotte Bobcats, it is not merely another game in a numbing sequence of games that too easily run together this time of year.
It is the middle act in a week-long run of first-name stars dropping in to check out the new digs at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
It started with Shaq last week, includes LeBron tonight and concludes with Kobe this weekend, a wonderful bit of scheduling fortune for the local team that might be forced to call reinforcements from the stands if anyone else turns up lame.
With Shaq, you get a bigger-than-life personality with the talent to match. With Kobe, you get the possibility of 81 points, but without much warmth. With LeBron, you get it all.
"The guy is fabulous," Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff said.
James celebrated his 21st birthday a month ago (he and Tiger Woods were both born on Dec. 30, though nine years apart) and already he's scored 5,000 points.
He was rookie of the year as a 19-year old, and last season averaged 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, joining Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan as the only players to do that. This year, James is averaging 30.9 points per game, 6.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists, helping the Cavaliers to improve for the third straight season.
When the hype came rushing out of Ohio five years ago about the kid who could change basketball, it made you want to roll your eyes. This time, though, it wasn't just hype.
James plays the game the way others can't. He doesn't so much play a position as he just plays basketball. James has made the art of passing cool again, reminding those blinded by video clips of one dunk after another that the best players know how to make those around them better.
James' critics, who are getting tougher to find, have nitpicked about his ability to finish off close games. It's also true he hasn't won an NBA championship yet but, until a month ago, he still couldn't legally buy a beer either.
Michael Jordan went six seasons before he won an NBA title. Isiah Thomas waited seven years.
When James eventually wins a championship, imagine what will be said about him then.
