From St. Vincent-St. Mary’s to St. James

On June 26, 2003, the stage was set for brilliance.\nAll year, people (myself included) wondered if it would actually happen. Would the better-than-most become the best? \nThe answer was yes, and on May 31, 2007, all the doubters were silenced as the unbelievable was performed.\nIt was the evolution of the LeBron James, King James, Video Game James, the Raging Inferno or whatever nickname you want to give the 22-year-old phenom who just four years ago was finishing up his senior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio. Picking his nickname might seem hard, but picking the adjective to describe his performance is even harder. \nUnbelievable? Nasty? Filthy? Stupendous? Astonishing? Straight Bidness? I would go on, but my vocabulary isn’t extensive enough.\nLeBron scored 29 of the last 30 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons – in Detroit nonetheless – and is the single reason the Cavs are in the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history.\nHe showed the performance that is making the other 14 Eastern Conference franchises shiver as they come to terms with the fact that the King James’ Dynasty has begun and the drought of finals appearances for those respective teams is imminent.\nTo put it bluntly, LeBron became what he was supposed to become: the best of this generation.\nBut is he the best enough to win this title? Can the Cavs really beat the Spurs in this NBA Championship series? \nIf the history of these playoffs is any indication, the answer is no. We learned from Don Nelson and Avery Johnson that the protege does not beat the mentor, which means that Cav’s coach Mike Brown (protege) should not beat Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (his mentor). \nBut Brown has something Johnson didn’t have: LeBron.\nIf the Cavs want to have a prayer of winning this series and the title, LeBron must continue doing what he has been doing. He must be the best player on the floor – and then some.\nThe nation seems to be behind the Cavs and their unlikely run to the finals, and NBA Commissioner David Stern couldn’t have dreamed of a better situation. He suspended players and did everything he could to get the Spurs into the finals and now he lands the face of the NBA in there by chance. Whether it’s luck or conspiracy, his job security and that $10 million salary just skyrocketed.\nTonight we all can watch Game 1 of this best-of-seven series. It will be a defensive struggle between two purely defensive teams, but now that LeBron is playing, there is always that slight chance that you will witness something to tell your kids about.\nTo me, who wins the title is irrelevant. I will be happy either way.\nI’m just glad the Pistons lost.