Milk It For Everything

There will still be a massive bidding war over Lebron James. He's unquestionably the best basketball player in the world... when he feels like it. Free Agency sweepstakes, here we come.

Of course, the buyer should probably be watching this Game 6 with furor. If LBJ doesn't come through tonight, it sets a precedent. He's already shown some red flags this series, notably the comment about 'spoiling people with [his] play' and the relatively lackluster showing against the aged (albeit resurging) Celtics.

Take this all with a grain of salt, though. Lebron is selfless on the court and is averaging in the neighborhood of 30/8/7, probably the only player in the NBA not named Dwyane Wade who can keep that up for an entire post season.

If I'm Donnie Walsh, I'm terrified, though. I want Lebron motivated with a ring and a burning desire to succeed. If he folds up like a lawn chair in this game (or worse, the next), I have to deal with a primadonna who can't or won't get it done on the big stage. While Lebron has a lot going for him, he still has a lot that he can work on to push him that much further. If he doesn't have that desire, though, then none of that will happen. For all of the accolades, Lebron James' defense is vastly overrated. Highlight reel blocks are nice and all, but he's not a game changer on that end. His assignments don't exactly have to take the night off on that end, but he certainly could improve himself there.

However, Lebron does not sound like a player who wants to improve. He simply doesn't feel the need to. His questionable J and athleticism give him about 30 ppg on 50% FG. That's fantastic. However, it's coasting. He has few low post moves, and his shot selection could be improved (honing the three, not settling for 20 footers). He's putting up 30 a night on 50% shooting and he hasn't even reached his ceiling. That's absurd to think about.

But Lebron knows that's enough for his off-the-court goals. And maybe he's right to accept that. When he says he could win the scoring title any time that he wanted, I absolutely believe him. In fact, I think he could be the first person since Michael Jordan to break the 3,000 point barrier.

That's a three person club.

However, Lebron is not a basketball player. Lebron is a corporation. Lebron is a business. Lebron is a marketing company. Making absolutely no adjustments to his game and assuming similar production throughout his career, Lebron is on track to average in the neighborhood of 24/5/7 and have what would most would probably term one of the top ten careers of all time (provided he wins a ring, which will happen, even if he has to hitch a ride on a contender in the twilight of his career). That is enough for Lebron James the Business. He is blessed with the gifts to be the greatest of all time, but only if he wants to be. If he doesn't push himself and make it to the Finals this season, he'll probably sign with another team, where he will chronically underachieve in the playoffs and either end up stumbling into a ring in a diluted league or playing until he's burnt out, leading the league in jerseys sold and teams gutted by his presence. Marketing mogul, legendary player, regular season champion, choker in the clutch.

Or not. You never know with this sort of thing. He could turn in a legendary performance tonight and for the rest of the playoffs, grab that first ring (or not) and then set the league on fire for the next 8 years, while gracefully fading into a comfortable career that may or may not have (more) championship rings in it.

Or this may be a stumbling block onto a greater career. This could be the last misstep of an otherwise flawless career, a brief reminder that even great ones can have not so great moments.

Taking that all into account, Lebron James' legacy is entirely in the hands of Lebron James. All we can do is bear witness.

Where Hawks-Magic Happens

Well, see you guys* next year.