Nemesis

Although I follow the NBA only a little more closely than I follow NCAA women's volleyball (which is at least aesthetically pleasing), I'm really enjoying the fact that the Miami Heat, and LeBron James in particular, lost the NBA finals. Detroit News writer Vincent Goodwill has an article up about it today. Here's an excerpt:

This is the path the Heat laid for themselves, one of extreme hubris.

Their arrogance was one of a different kind. It differed much than the determined arrogance of the late '80s Pistons or the early '90s Bulls. And it wasn't quite the same as the historical arrogance the late '90s Bulls displayed.

The conceit of their predecessors was built from success, but in most cases it birthed from failure. From silent tears and mental growth. The Heat's arrogance stemmed from pulling off a coup in front of the world, staging a sense of suspense when they all truly knew what they were doing, before James' "Decision."

In doing so, they felt the season would just be a formality, aside from meeting the experienced Celtics and then possibly taking on the defending champion Lakers for an epic Finals showdown.

I think hubris is exactly the right term here, and I can't think of a pro sports team that has invited nemesis the way the Heat did. James, Wade, and Bosh made it pretty clear that they thought they had outsmarted the system and everyone was ready to hand them the title. Now, not only have they blown it, but James has cemented his reputation as the biggest choker in the NBA. It's wonderful, isn't it?

Cop Out

Okay, I may have have taken a shot at Bill Simmons the other day, and I still think his judgment is suspect after all the World Cup love, but sometimes he really nails a point. A quote from his pre-"LeBronocalypse" column, as linked by Stephen Spruiell at The Corner:

I think it's a cop-out. Any super-competitive person would rather beat Dwyane Wade than play with him. Don't you want to find the Ali to your Frazier and have that rival pull the greatness out of you? That's why I'm holding out hope that LeBron signs with New York or Chicago (or stays in Cleveland), because he'd be saying, "Fine. Kobe, Dwight and Melo all have their teams. Wade and Bosh have their team. The Celtics are still there. Durant's team is coming. I'm gonna go out and build MY team, and I'm kicking all their asses." That's what Jordan would have done. Hell, that's what Kobe would have done.

In May, after the Cavs were ousted in the conference semifinals, I wrote that LeBron was facing one of the greatest sports decisions ever: "winning (Chicago), loyalty (Cleveland) or a chance at immortality (New York)."

I never thought he would pick "HELP!"

There's also this observation on Cleveland fans and Bill's feelings towards LeBron:

This stomach-punch moment? Calculated. By a local kid they loved, defended and revered.

It would be unforgivable. Repeat: unforgivable. I don't have a dog in this race -- as a Celtics fan, I wanted to see him go anywhere but Chicago -- but LeBron doing this show after what happened in the 2010 playoffs actually turned me against him. No small feat. I was one of his biggest defenders. Not anymore.

Decisions, Decisions

So, LeBron James' future plans are going to be announced tomorrow night. On ESPN. This is everything I hate about the NBA. Okay, not quite everything: Apparently the money raised from the advertising during the 60-min (!) special is going to charity. But still, here's lots of ego, hype, and, uh, no basketball. I understand why people are interested since this is a relatively rare event in the sports business, but it seems to me like a line is being crossed that we're going to regret later. And ESPN is complicit, as they have been all along with LeBron. Remember his high school game on ESPN? Maybe they should get his official sponsorship?