For the third time in as many meetings, the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat yesterday. Despite a game where Paul Pierce scored only one point and missed all of his field goal attempts, the Celtics managed to find a way to win. This follows a pattern that has come into play since the trio of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett were put together three years ago, where, despite the situation, they fight and claw to the last moment.
Meanwhile, Miami does not have the same killer, or championship, mentality that the Celtics have. With an opportunity to tie the game, LeBron missed his first free throw. As soon as the pressure was off, he promptly sank the second shot. Granted, it is just one free throw attempt, but this is a microcosm of what LeBron has become. At this point, he looks for excuses as to why the losses happen, instead of taking charge and trying to will his teams to victory.
From the moment LeBron and Chris Bosh signed in Miami, they were anointed as the NBA Champions, even though a game had yet to be played. They staged a 'meeting' with the players, where they came out on a smoke filled stage and preened for the adoring crowds. They expected that all they would have to do would be to show up, and they would win not just one championship, but the multiples that LeBron promised. Well, it's not so easy when other teams stand up.
Thus far, LeBron has claimed that Miami "doesn't have the chemistry that the Celtics have." When the Big Three in Boston first came together, they won 29 of their first 32 games. They deferred to each other. They worked hard at all aspects of the game. They would not back down to anyone. LeBron and the Heat? It's just excuse after excuse as they try to disguise how mentally soft they really are.
After the game, Dwayne Wade attempted to compare the Heat's struggles against the Celtics to how Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had issues with the Detroit Pistons in the late 1980's. There are, however, several major differences. First, Jordan had nowhere near the supporting cast that LeBron has in Miami. Scottie Pippen was a good player, but he was not in the class of a Dwayne Wade. Those Bulls teams never had a player the caliber of Chris Bosh. They had solid players supporting an all time great, not three perennial All-Stars.
Second, Jordan refused to let up. He would win, or he would go to the last second trying to get that victory. Nothing mattered more to him than to win at everything he tried. With LeBron, it's about image. It's about his brand. It's about having fun. Then maybe basketball factors in after those three things.
Third, Jordan loved the pressure. He created some of the most memorable moments in NBA history during the playoffs. LeBron, meanwhile, shrinks from the pressure. He passes up shots. He commits turnovers he normally wouldn't make. The shots he does take, he misses more than he hits. LeBron simply does not have the mental fortitude required to be the leader of a championship team.
As such, it is time for LeBron James to man up. He needs to realize that nothing is being handed to him in Miami, and that he needs to work at getting championships. Otherwise, his legacy is going to be about unfulfilled potential and all the excuses made for him.
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