LeBron the Leader: muscles past Minnesota

Just a few days ago I wrote how LeBron James' spirit seemed to have disappointed. Based on a terrible loss to the Houston Rockets, the Cavaliers looked to be done for the season. I wondered... is LeBron tired of taking on the role of civic leader for Ohio while training to win NBA games and championships?

In last night's game, LeBron willed himself to lead his team to victory. And this was a game he won with his muscle and brute athletic power. The game went into overtime. LeBron's massive shot block of a Minnesota shot kept the score close. He took defender Andrew Wiggins to school, blowing past him on a drive to the basket. Announcer Hubie Brown noted that LeBron did not opt for the lazy man's route and attempt to throw up a difficult 3 point shot. LeBron took Wiggins to the hoop with muscle, speed and dexterity and drove hard to the basket to put in a lay-up. You sense LeBron is having to dig a little deeper to make these moves at age 33.

The capper was LeBron receiving a cross-court inbounds pass and hitting a fade away jumper with 1 second remaining in the game. They call it a buzzer beater for a reason. The pass-and-shot looked very reminiscent of the famous Christian Laettner shot for Duke University in the final second of the 1992 NCAA championship game versus Kentucky.

The Cavaliers victory came after a roller coaster ride of a game. The lead changed hands 34 times and was tied 16 times. Three point shots rained down with incredible accuracy. The could easily have quit with the Timberwolves. LeBron wouldn't let it happen. That's the definition of a leader.

LeBron James meets his Darkest Hour

In 1940 England met its darkest hour. Winston Churchill rallied the British people to fight the Nazis with the sacrifice of "blood, toil, tears and sweat."

LeBron James faces something similar. Okay, it’s not life and death. This is the NBA not World War II. But LeBron James, superstar leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been called upon to lead his team from the depths of depression, The Cavs have experienced a spiritual meltdown—and its under LeBron’s watch.

I learned about the Cleveland Cavaliers meltdown in their game with the Houston Rockets. The Cavs got whipped by an embarrassing score of 120-88 a few nights ago.

The Cavs massive loss to Houston Rockets revealed the dispirited Cleveland team has serious problems. The fans feel immense respect for LeBron James He brought the city a NBA championship in 2016. This put an end to a 52-year professional sports title drought.

LeBron won back Cleveland fans and the entire city when he returned to Cleveland after winning back-to-back championships with the Miami Heat. Lebron was praised as a societal leader. He wanted to return to Ohio, his home state, to help lift the morale of the citizenry.

LeBron showed selfless devotion to a cause beyond himself with his decision to return home. And the he led the team to a NBA championship in 2016. That achievement elevated King James to near Saint status. But being King is not bad.

LeBron’s past glories add greater angst to the struggle happening now Cleveland. The Houston game felt like a blowout from the opening minutes and stayed that way the entire game. The Rockets superstars, James Harden and Chris Paul, put on an offensive show. The Rockets looked like the Harlem Globetrotters with the game almost won from the opening tap.

LeBron James experienced naked humiliation in front of the home crowd. Cleveland had no defense. They had no defense. They looked out of sync and over-matched in every aspect of the game. But the secret was in the team’s body language—and that included LeBron.

LeBron's nonverbal cues showed a auperstar looking disoriented at the very place he usually dominates the competition. LeBron is the one who takes over games. Against the Rockets he seemed vanquished. His troubled expression showed a frustrated man with a sense of desperation. One of the announcers, Jalen Rose, wondered if the Cavaliers team have become toxic.

And maybe the most troubling... as the Cleveland team broke from a huddle LeBron spoke a few inspirational words to his teammates but concluded with strange advice: “Be in the moment… Enjoy the moment.”

The breaking of the huddle to New Age self-help phrases shocked me. If a NBA guy playing in an ESPN televised game for a national audience is not already “in the moment” you have to wonder where they are…

If LeBron is going to have his Winston Churchill moment he will transform toxicity into team play.

Makes you wonder about LeBron himself. He may be thinking beyond Cleveland. LeBron’s mojo for Cleveland may be gone. He took on a lot to become a societal leader, maybe too much even for a bionic superhero, a star like no other.

Lebron playing for another team! In another city! Another state! A change could bring welcome relief. LeBron... 33 years old. Late career. Lebron has to find a way to make basketball fun again. Not like that Rockets game.

LeBron James: America's Bravest Politician

LeBron James, 31 years old, a 6 ft 8 in basketball superstar for the Cleveland Cavaliers, may just be the bravest politician on the American landscape.

LeBron James began his career as a Cleveland Cavalier but departed the team with the goal of increasing his chances of winning a NBA championship. He famously conspired with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to sign with the Miami Heat. LeBron James, Wade and Bosh won several NBA titles  (2011-2013) with the Miami Heat but the success never completely silenced the critics.

LeBron James then made a gutsy, selfless decision-- he would return to Cleveland with the goal to win a NBA championship for a city that had not seen a championship since the Cleveland Browns won the NFL championship in 1964. Seems like James wanted to bring a measure of joy and pride back to his home state of Ohio!

LeBron paid a price for his quixotic goal. The pressure he felt surfaced when tears rolled down his face a few nights ago, the 7th game won and the championship earned.

How many politicians have put their career on the line to achieve such an daring goal-- one with stakes so high and chances for success so unlikely? Don't underestimate the odds against success. Just a few weeks ago... the Golden State Warriors seemed to be a dynasty, a juggernaut of superstar players. The Warriors had just completed a record-breaking season of 73 wins.

LeBron James made an audacious choice when be bet on himself and the city of Cleveland. Those of us of a certain age.... recall quarterback Joe Willie Namath's guarantee of a Super Bowl victory for the New York Jets of the upstart American Football League. LeBron never guaranteed a NBA title-- because such a guarantee would have been shaky at best. His achievement surpasses Namath and the Jets-- bringing to an underdog city, not just an underdog team.

Here's to King James or maybe President James or Senator James... a political leader in an era when sports/entertainment/politics all blend to a single entity. A politician is supposed to represent and support a geo-political entity-- like the state of Ohio. LeBron James raised the morale of a city and entire state. Sure he achieved his goal by using basketball talent and willpower but he achieved something akin to a political victory for his constituents.

Kanye West, a music talent, joked about a plan on running for president-- but when did Kanye do something for somebody else? LeBron James should be the one to consider politics as his Plan B career.

Sports Heroes-- How to Get the Monkey off the Back?

Sportswriter do not like the psychological aspect behind athletic achievement. They much prefer statistics. Sportswriters and most fans misinterpret athletic performance as if players were as predictable as machines. Joe Blow has 50 home runs and so he is an important player to have in the batter's box at the key moment in the bottom of the ninth inning. Players are not machines. They are subject to psychological hang-ups, some of which derail their careers. Great athletes sometimes get overwhelmed and I'll give you a few examples of players who have struggled:

1) Peyton Manning-- cannot perform in NFL playoff games. Brother Eli does much better.
2) Alex Rodriguez-- powerful performer in regular season games, big bust in the playoffs.
3) Tony Romo-- wonderful athlete and good guy, but hates the playoffs. Lost this year to Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay and Aaron was playing on one leg.
4) Prince Fielder-- great hitter but hates the playoff environment.


And it can happen to coaches as well:
1) Rick Barnes-- coached University of Texas basketball for 17 seasons and made one Final Four.
2) Roy Williams-- got the North Carolina job for college basketball but now falters in the NCAA tournament.

You can bet against these guys in big games and make a fortune. I prefer not to bet on sporting events, but have watched them fail with clockwork regularity.

I have seen a couple of players overcome this Monkey on the Back of fear. The Monkey keeps you from achieving success at the very pinnacle of success. Do these players have a fear of success-- are they afraid to become absolute superstars? It goes deep and they could all benefit from psychological counseling. Every guy mentioned above is a fantastic athlete.

Two who overcame their fears:
1) Dirk Nowitski-- brought the Dallas Mavericks to a NBA Championship after faltering for years in the big moment.
2) Lebron James-- despite his other-worldly talents, Lebron took off after he beat the demon back and won an NBA championship. Much well-deserved success followed this accomplishment.

And, Tiger Woods, is an athlete with two careers-- pre-sex scandal and post sex-scandal
Tiger obviously played with the awesome consistency of a golfing robot till the scandal hit. He must have felt so guilty about the tawdry cheating stories that he never has recovered. He never made a thorough confession to his misdeeds. He should have gone on Oprah and spilled the whole truth. He could have continued his career as the best golfer ever. Instead, he grew a Monkey on the Back.