LeBron James is in the 2015 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team he left the Miami Heat for. Does that anger you? Do you want him to fail? Would you prefer that he never win another title again? Well, you are in the majority. But I am here to tell you that rooting for James is actually okay.
On the most basic level, Miami fans are against James for one reason: he left their team. And while obviously the situation is a little more complicated than that, take the statement for what it is for a minute. Does that not sound absurd? Imagine if this was always the case. Unless a player stayed with the same team for his entire career, he would constantly be hated. Fanbase by fanbase would turn against him, until there was no one left to show support.
Now let us dig a little deeper. James left the Heat after being unable to three-peat. He had a goal, was unable to meet it, and then ran away from the issue. That certainly is frustrating. But unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that no one knows if James was planning to go back to Cleveland all along or not. Which of course then brings up the question of whether or not Miami fans would still have reacted the same way, if James had won them three championships and then left. My guess? Probably.
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Here is the real issue. James, the (even self-proclaimed) best player in the league, left your team. And that is really all there is to it. Unable to deliver a victory in 2010 and 2014, Heat Nation still felt vindicated because James belonged to them. But now, even though his team is struggling, Miami fans simply cannot get behind the King.
But consider this: James won the Heat two championships and brought the Big Three together, two of which (at least for now) are still around. He essentially put the team back on the map. Plus, do I have to say it again? He is the NBA’s top player.
So instead of holding a grudge and wishing him misfortune, why not be proud?
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A former Miami Heat player has once again made it to the NBA Finals. And what a journey it was to get there.
In the first round, the Cavaliers faced the Boston Celtics and although they won, they left without Kevin Love. Next up were the Chicago Bulls, who had a 2-1 lead until James hit a buzzer-beater jumper in Game 4 with one second left on the clock. Then came the Atlanta Hawks, which left the team without Kyrie Irving and yet, James still got it done. And now, down 3-2 to the Golden State Warriors, James is putting up incredible numbers.
In Game 1, James finished with 44 points. He totaled 39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 2. In Game 3, he had 40 points and 12 rebounds. And in Game 5, he recorded another triple-double with 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. His performance in this year’s Finals is incomparable.
Ironically, James is still the underdog. While on paper his numbers should be enough for the Cavaliers to win, they are not. At least not when his supporting cast is not also playing at a high level. JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova, and Tristan Thompson have all had breakout moments and/or games, but currently their contributions are inconsistent, leaving James to do all the work by himself. Sound familiar? The Heat too are underdogs, despite having the likes of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Goran Dragic. But injuries have disabled both key guys and bench players, putting all the pressure on only the few healthy parties, at any given time. If anyone knows about adversity, it is Miami fans.
James became a champion as a member of Heat Nation, and that is something that will never be forgotten. So is it not time to start cheering him on, and encourage him to use all that he learned here in Miami, to move forward in Cleveland?
Players will come and go, but once a member of the Miami Mafia, always a member of the Miami Mafia. And are we not lucky to be able to call the great LeBron James, one of us? Sleep on it. Game 6 is tonight at 9 p.m. ET.