I am probably the biggest Los Angeles Lakers fan of all time. I have followed them since I was a kid.
I hear stories left and right from my pops saying that instead of
watching cartoons, I sat in front of the T.V. on his lap as a baby, and watched
the last years of Magic Johnson. Unfortunately the year when I was born the Boston Celtics won the NBA
championship. Luckily, it wasn’t against the Los Angeles Lakers but still, I’m
all Lakers, through and through, and I was born during that crap?
It’s okay because since my birth, through my dad or myself we have
celebrated 7 NBA championships. 2 from Magic, 3 from Shaq and Kobe, yes Shaq AND Kobe, and 2 from Kobe. Magic had Kareem in 87’ and 88’ but Kareem was a little better than
being a shell of his own image. Magic was the man, and everyone in Laker Land knew it. Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant big man of his time. Those of
you that remember him, not as the Big Shaqtus or the Big 4 Leaf Clover, or
whatever, know that when he wore purple and gold, there was no one better.
Though at different positions, Kobe was close. I can honestly say, without being a homer, that Kobe and Shaq were
probably the greatest 1-2 combo of all time. Yes, I’m saying all time. I can honestly say that if Shaq didn’t have Kobe, though statistically,
he was far more superior, he wouldn’t have won those 3 rings. The reason is simple, Shaq dominated for 3 quarters, but big men have
always needed someone to be a closer. 1 sad reason for that is free throw
shooting. Kobe was the closer’s closer, a kid with such a big ego, he didn’t care
if he missed 3 open shots in a row. As long as he hit that one that got you
halfway down your throat.
Kareem needed Magic, and before Magic became an even better scorer then
he was in the beginning of his career, they had Big Game James. Bill Russell had John Havlicek, Isaiah Thomas had Joe Dumars. Jordan
had Jordan, but he had Scottie to facilitate and make life easier for MJ. Everybody had someone. The Dream had the Glyde. TIMMY had the Admiral,
followed by Ginobilli and Tony Parker and Wilt the Stilt had Jerry West.
So are you starting to catch the trend?
Everybody had someone.
All the great players had someone to back them up and win
championships. And they all did it with the same team. It was always someone else who
joined out of their prime, to chase a ring. And there is nothing wrong with that. If you have spent your whole
career with the same team, and you haven’t won, why not leave? Wilt did it. Karl Malone tried, but his knees didn’t follow him to LA
for a full season. Gary Payton did it, but his mouth didn’t follow him to LA.
Barkley did it, but the only thing that followed him was his ability to still
throw a punch (ask Shaq!) Believe it or not Celtics fans, but Garnett did it too. That’s all fine and dandy, but all these dudes I just named, at
least tried for over a season. And what ended up happening was: They got help from a person chasing a
ring.
Every great dynasty was led by someone who was drafted there, and cast
mates via free agency or trades. That just the way it’s always been. Someone gets drafted to a team, stays there their whole career, and
then get’s joined by an “Other” which is either better, or on the downside of
his career. They are NEVER equal. But one was always better than “The other” and the “Other” always knew
that. When Wilt joined the Lakers, he knew it was the Logo’s team. When Havlicek was drafted and joined Big Bill, Havlicek ran the offense
while Big Bill didn’t let you make a basket, better yet even try to make a
basket. When Bird was joined by everyone, as much as I hate to say it, Bird was
always the man in Bean Town, Even when he didn’t have a back. When Kareem joined Magic, Kareem was the man, as he got older, boom,
Magic was the man. And Magic ended his career tragically, but he was still the
man. Pippen might be a top 50 of all time player, and one of the greatest
facilitators of our game, like Odom should’ve been, but he’s got nothing on the
G.O.A.T. It was, and always will be His Airness team. When The Glyde joined the Dream, Robert Horry joined too, because it
was magical. Shaq and Kobe came in together, but though technically Kobe wasn’t
drafted by L.A., he’s never played with another jersey on. And though I said
earlier that Shaq wouldn’t have won without Kobe, and vice versa, Shaq was
still the man, and Kobe hated it. The Spurs honestly have done the miraculous and drafted all of their
players. The Admiral, TIMMY, Tony P, and Ginobilli.
How do you compare LeBron, DWade, and Chris Bosh to that? If Bosh would’ve joined LeBron in Cleveland, fine! If Bosh would’ve joined Wade in Miami, fine! Even if LeBron would’ve joined Bosh and Drake in Toronto, fine! But LeBron and Bosh join Wade in Miami? Not fine. I felt betrayed. I really did. More than a Laker fan, I am an NBA fan, and out of the integrity of the
game, key word INTEGRITY, why would LeBron join another great player at, sort
of the same position. The position I mean is closer.
The closer is the unspoken bad ass mofo in the NBA. You can be a closer at any position, but you NEVER join another closer,
unless your over the hill like a Ray Allen type. You just don’t do it. Don’t do what Nike says, don’t do IT!
I loved LeBron in Cleveland, I loved that they recruited every wrong
person in the book. And I loved the fact, like Jordan struggled with Chicago for so long,
that they hadn’t found the right one, like a Pippen type, to join LeBron. I loved watching LeBron lose, because I knew that when he would turn it
on, there was no going back. When he got that look in his eye, he was not going
back. When he would hammer that dunk and not give a false roar after, there
was no going back. When he would dance on the sideline, someone would throw their shoe at
him, and after they got arrested, there was no going back.
Horrible TV shows have lasted more seasons than LeBron did in
Cleveland. People begged for him to jump ship because they loved him so much, all
his minions, oh I’m sorry, WITNESSES! I hate that. I hate the fact that he dances on the sidelines when his team is
winning by a ridiculous amount and he offends Mr. Joakim Noah. I hate the fact that he didn’t shake hands after so many playoff
losses. I hate when he throws down a thunderous dunk, and he puts on this rabid
man face, and then suddenly brushes it off, smiles, and runs off.
It seems so fake to me, like the glasses he wears with no lenses. It’s annoying. Especially when I grew up around the Jordan era. Jordan showed loyalty to Chicago. When he kept losing to Boston and
Detroit, he didn’t leave. He stayed. Kobe almost left across the locker room to the Clippers, but he was
feeling sick for that whole week. Pierce couldn’t leave Boston, he and Antoine Walker almost led them to
turmoil before KG saved the day. But KG spent over 10 seasons in Minny. (Please
K-Love don’t do the same.)
You just don’t do it.
So I hated LeBron for the longest time. Not like these other people who hate on him, I had reasoning. He broke the code. Wade had established himself as an MVP candidate, and one of the best
closers in the game. And LeBron joined him? LeBron is not even 30 and he’s won 3 MVP’s, if you would compare his
game to anyone in history, it would be Magic or the Big O. But he was ahead of
them, because unlike them, he could score at will. All of these reasons are why I have so much respect for him now. He defied everyone, and what do the greatest of all the greats do? They defy everyone! They defy the scouts, the media, the players, the coaches, the red head
next door, the beer guzzling idiots that love to harass their families at
games. That’s what makes them great.
And LeBron did exactly that. Game 6 vs. the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron did not
laugh. He did not dance. As an awesome co-worker of mine put it, (A huge Kobe-hater by the way)
“LeBron had his Kobe face on.” Yes he did. He lit it up and he made himself his signature game. LeBron is unstoppable in the paint. I can honestly say that LeBron is
the smallest dude ever to be that unstoppable in the paint. Shaq, Kareem, Duncan, Wilt, Russell, they were all unstoppable. And
they were all taller than LeBron. LeBron dominated every inch in the paint. He stopped passing, which people might love, but it never got him
anywhere till this. He stopped jacking up 3’s and trying to show the media and fans that he
can, in fact, shoot 3’s. He played like LeBron.
So when you are in the backyard shooting a fadeaway off a post move
like Jordan or Kobe, and you scream their name, whenever you make a shot in the
paint, you can scream LeBron. He did that good.
And no, he doesn’t ever have to win again, because the argument this
whole time was LeBron is absent when it matters most. Well though he broke every unspoken rule in the game, he took over from
another closer. He proved that DWade is just DWade, and LeBron is immortal.
3 MVP’S, wasn’t enticing anymore, but now he has that 1 FINALS MVP,
that is the real trophy that matters. We all know that, the closers all know that. And though LeBron is the king right now, that’s it, it’s just now. He is immortal because his playoff performance will always be
remembered.
It was incredible, I’m not going to lie, but there is a Mamba lurking nearby.
The Mamba that has stayed with his team since 1996, longer then the
whole Friends sitcom lasted. He was drafted, via trade by the Lakers. He got help from a better “Other” in Shaq. He got help from a lesser “Other”
in Gasol, the Spaniard. He has seen all the ups and downs from the Lakers. And now the Bean has an-“other” in Nash. An ageless wonder, who is
chasing a ring. And he still has the SPANIARD. And he is still one of the baddest MOFO’S on the planet.
Yeah, he’s 33, but now he has Nash, Gasol, Bynum (Might change that to
D12) and fresh knees. He has followed every unspoken rule, the rules of the closers. LeBron defied all the rules, but Kobe still has juice left. It’s as if he’s fighting for the Samurai while LeBron is the men that
Tom Cruise was supposed to lead. Who win’s at the end? Well the Japanese soldiers did kill all the Samurai, and besides this
article when do people ever talk about that army. We still to this day talk about the Samurai, they are immortals. And
they died following their code. The way of the Samurai, in some way is the way of the Closer. And Kobe Bryant is the 2nd greatest closer of our time. He is the Last Closer, while LeBron James is the king…for now.
