MJ, Kobe, Lebron.....and me

As I have mentioned on my blog before I was not your typical little girl. In the third grade I started playing basketball and became slightly obsessed. I distinctly remember the summer before telling my mom I wanted to trade in my little white Keds for some "boy" tennis shoes like my cousin Nick's. My mother died a little inside that day. If she had it her way me, my sister and my brother would all still wear bleached white Keds every day of our lives.

And so began my tom-boy phase, which never really ended. How many little girls can say they had a Nike birthday party? Well, this girl did. My sister sent me a picture of one of my old Barbie's she found the other day. My Barbie was wearing a Chicago Bull's uniform.



At this stage in my life I could not get enough basketball. I even failed at tried to become interested in the WNBA. But the NBA became the real source of my obsession. I had a Kobe Bryant poster in my closet, afro and all. I would watch a VHS tape of the NBA's Greatest Finals Moments over and over and over. I memorized names like Isiah Thomas, Bill Russell, Kareem, Magic, Larry and of course Michael.

As I grew up, my interest in the NBA waned and it became (and still is) college basketball. However, I do usually try to tune in for the finals each year (partly because I'm interested but mostly because I'm jonesing for a real sport to watch on TV between college basketball and football season). This year I joined the masses and jumped on the bandwagon of Lebron haters. Now, to be fair I know little of this man other than the hype surrounding him being "the greatest player without a ring." Now he's simply King James again.

Lebron made it pretty easy to be a hater. He leaves Cleveland and heads to Miami to join Wade in pursuit of a ring. It's hard for me to respect a man whose only goal is a ring. Sure, I'm sure it's a feeling like none other but wouldn't it be more satisfying to do it yourself, without riding Wade's coattails? I'm not here to argue about Lebron's talent. I'm here to argue about his heart. He's damn good. But that's it. I compare every NBA player I see speak or play to Magic. There is a man who LOVES this game. A man who gave it up because he felt he was hurting the game.

How many players are in it for the love of the game? And how many of them are after a title? I see some who put me in the mind of Magic. Namely, Derek Fisher and Kevin Garnett. But the hype gets to some of these guys. Lebron thought he deserved a ring, it was his turn.....Nevermind earning it. Let's head to Miami where they've got some good players already and a ring or two that will guarantee that I will finally get what's mine. Shewee it's hard to enjoy watching a man with that mentality. (Never mind his 4th quarter "cramp" in game 4). Oh and as a side note, I puke in my mouth every time they ask if Lebron is better than Michael Jordan.

Maybe I'm just bitter because the Heat put the Celtics out. I love Boston and those boys but we all know they're getting up there. I worry that if they couldn't do it this year, it may have been their last chance. Here's hoping they can make another run for it next year. But in case they can't.....

 Here's another bandwagon I will jump on: Durant. How much respect will I have for him if he can take OKC to the title game next year? A heck of a lot more than I do for Lebron for leaving Cleveland without one.