Perhaps, the media-marketed "Chosen One" doesn't deserve to have his first name spun into an adjective like Ruthian or Jordanian because he has no championships to his credit despite his efforts doubling as a general manager as much as he was a free agent.
Today you heard the comparisons--few original--of LeBron James' future, when most haters--including this one--cringed while the Miami Heat cruised through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Maybe you've heard some of these:
* LeBron will never be Jordan. OK, that's pretty easy to say now.
* LeBron is the new Wilt-A-Rod-Peyton Manning. Well, those guys eventually won, so that may not be a bad bite of crow to bite off.
* LeBron played on a collection of great athletes when the Mavs played as a team. OK. Fair. For now.
* LeBron is a (blank).
People have a right to feel this way. Since "The Decision," LeBron has played a better villain than the late Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight." And he came within two games from ruling the world, much like bad guys do in great films. He even turned Dwyane Wade into the nWo-turned Hulk Hogan.
The NBA wins. David Stern wins. And America wins. Enjoy it. Savor it. Let this loss carry you for the next several months while the possibility of two sports locking down and a baseball postseason with no real national enemy (this Yankee fan knows the Bombers are done).
When the dollars finally settle on the stripclub floors and LeBron and his few media minions stop coddling him and amplifying his excuses (bad coaching, bad cast, mama and baby mama bangin') uncle Pat (Riley) will swoop in and save the day.
And like Wilt, A-Rod and Manning, he'll get his title. And it won't matter if he plays a mediocre series--a ring is a ring is a ring. Only unlike the others, LeBron will have a much better chance of winning more.
More importantly, we'll forget the fact that we currently hate LeBron, just like we forget we once hated Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant, oh and that co-star of "The Hangover" series whom everyone seems to revere and celebrate and make excuses for--MISTER Tyson.
Yup. Time is truly society's healing salve. Eventually, The Decision, The Heatles, and even The Disappearing Act will be footnotes after LeBron gets his rings. And he will.
And he will make us all forget we were witnesses. And we'll be hypnotized by his performance because we all love winners. And we'll all have excuses for his behavior this past year like we made for other athletes mentioned earlier and call it forgiveness, even if we do use it like Fabrese rather than truly forget.
And like today, we'll find a new villain, a new scandal, and a new hate.
Because in sports, there really are no new stories:
Just short memories.
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