Down goes Lebron - Down goes LeBron

My tweeted thoughts (with a few from other folks on Twitter sprinkled in as well) on defeat of the Miami Heat's Big 3 ("led" by a prematurely crowned king) at the hands of the class act Dallas Mavericks. Proof positive that teams beat collections.



RT @KingJames Now or Never!!


Great players have been prevented from becoming champions before. Ewing, Barkley, Malone, Iverson, the list goes on and on. But they shared a trait. When those guys got to the Finals they went for it with everything they had in them, left it all on the court. Left in defeat but not shame. Can you honestly say that about LeBron’s performance in the Finals this year, particularly in Now or Never quarter #4.

Champs know how to close the show. Snatch spotlight & force other guys to be spectators to their greatness. LeBron is a near perfect hybrid of Magic Johnson & Michael Jordan physically. But at do or die time he was neither magical nor like Mike.

Being in spotlight voluntarily means you take the good with the bad. THE DECISION was choosing to shine spotlight on spotlight, so if LeBron and his fans don’t like the negativity headed his way, there’s only one person to blame and it isn’t the media or “haters”.

The last pro athletes to be as despised as LeBron is (at least for the moment) were probably George Foreman & Joe Frazier because Muhammad Ali was a master of spin control. Lebron’s the opposite.

Ali got people to hate his opponents. Neat trick. LeBron got people to hate HIM. Only useful if you WANT to be the bad guy, feed off it. I don’t believe that’s truly what LeBron wants or what he feeds off of.

Before Ali was beloved he was often perceived as the "bad guy" in the ring. He thrived regardless of whether you loved or hated him. It will be interesting to see if LeBron’s game is affected at all by his popularity level going forward.

Good thing for Miami that Dirk's feelings were hurt by LeBron/Wade mocking, causing him to hoist bricks for much of final game of series, otherwise Mavs win it by 20+. Congrats to the Dallas Mavericks, new NBA champions.

Of course Dirk got his in the 4th. You know why? Cause that's what champions do. Take note, LeBron.



Maybe now Dirk starts getting long overdue credit. The dude shoots 3's like Reggie Miller, crazy handle, fall back Js at ridiculous angles, solid post game, all of this at 7 feet tall. Incredible!



With all due respect, those who thought Miami would win are those who get all caught up in highlight reel dunks rather than fundamental basketball.



Once Dallas manhandled the Lakers, who were a damn good team that very possibly beat the Heat as well, it was clear that this was the Mavs year.



Never anoint yourself KING prior to having a throne. So let it be written. So let it be done.



Mavericks may have had just 1 championship run in them. Heat are just starting. But so are Bulls and Knicks. East is up for grabs.



Good point. Franchise already celebrated. They just didn’t realize they were partying for less than they thought. RT @tclarkusa Heat fans, don't be mad at LeBron think back to huge parade you had when you 1st got him.

Did you see the number of blue jerseys in arena during game 6, supposedly a home game for Miami? If any NBA franchise does not deserve another championship, it's the no real fan base Heat.

Reporters in press conference tried so hard to get Spoelstra to blame LeBron. He wouldn't crack, unlike LeBron.



Heat were nowhere near more talented than Mavericks. Just WAY more hyped is all.

I'm certain Dirk left court after win to gather himself emotionally, not to diss James & Wade. Great series. Great storylines. Great #NBA season.



I don't in any way see Spoelstra taking the fall and getting fired unless there's tape of him telling LeBron to wilt under pressure. How do you get fired for leading a team all the way to the Finals, even if the young man is viewed by his bosses more as a caretaker than coach?



I plan to be happy for a couple months over the Heat loss, then will get back to my own little life. Thx for the advice, LeBron.



God did not want LeBron to win a ring this year, proved it by inventing the 4th quarter



Time for the "I know I repeatedly said Heat would win easy, but always knew they'd get smoked" tweets.



Nice to see both communist Russia and the Heat fall in my lifetime. #TakingItTooFar :-)



Heat fan nation is not based in Miami. Spread across nation in hearts of guys & dolls who drunk the LeBron Kool Aid.



"There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE." - Dan Gilbert



RT @mcuban how amazing was it that dirk, brian cardinal and ian mahini planned to all sign with the Mavs this summer !! #big3 #makingithappen



RT @DanLevyThinks Pat Riley? RT @clintonyates: Awwwwkwwarrrd. —> RT @KingJames The Greater Man upstairs know when it's my time. Right now isn't the time.



LOL RT @Unsilent: I hated LeBron before hating LeBron went all mainstream. #hatehatehate



How many shots did Dirk take & make in 4th quarter after starting game 1of 12 shooting? How about LeBron who started off hot? #TaleOfTheTape



LeBron has proven to be a master of one thing. Taking a bad situation and making it exponentially worse.



Was result of NBA Finals caused by what Mavs did or what Heat (particularly you know who) didn't do? Some of both IMO, mainly Mavs performance.



Most fluffy trending topics on Twitter bore me after an hour or so. LeBron's downfall is an exception, doesn't even require a hashtag.



Tweets defending LeBron are particularly entertaining. Most start "Not to defend LeBron but..." No need to finish such a sentence.


I still can't believe those intense pre-game pep talks by LeBron didn't work. "We should go out and win, man. Or not. Either way I'm rich." LeBron James gives Ray Lewis-esque pep talks, if Ray had a lobotomy that is.



LeBron should get this picture as a tattoo. If it doesn't inspire him to greatness, nothing will. twitpic.com/5b0yo5

When I tweeted & blogged about Pippen's remarks, stating LeBron belongs nowhere near Greatest Of All Time discussion, some guy bombarded me with video clips that were supposed to prove how fantastic LeBron truly is. Wonder where that guy is now. He's been curiously silent.


Here's my G.O.A.T. blog posting: http://bit.ly/lBXZL2

And here are my thoughts on LeBron leading up to his DECISION: http://bit.ly/9inkWn

When I first started going in on LeBron after The Decision, I freely admit much of the anger stemmed from my hopes he'd land on the #Knicks



I know fellow #Knicks fans felt as I did. Obviously fans in Cleveland were enraged. Hopeful fans in a couple other cities also upset...



But reading Twitter over last few weeks and most especially today, DAMN, it's clear a lot of folks from all over the country don't like that supposedly royal dude. It isn’t just spurned fans that he rubbed the wrong way.


This twitter name says it all - @LaughAtLeBron



I get why people don't like LeBron. Seems very arrogant & his DECISION really felt like it went against competitive spirit of the game



I think people who used to admire LeBron when he played in Cleveland turned on him because great players lead. Going to South Beach was following. Point blank



As for those who defend LeBron, they're entitled, but I've yet to see a single compelling reason to do so except maybe pity.



After the tone and content of his comments in that post game press conference, I don't have it in me to sympathize/empathize with LeBron. Showed zero humility



I lost respect for Wade along with LeBron on account of that coughing mimicry nonsense. Dirk as a 13 year vet deserves respect. But at least Wade played hard throughout series. What did LeBron do? Have you ever had a deer in your headlights? Then you know what LeBron did in the Finals.



Playing poorly is not a sin. Playing scared is not a sin. Continuing to be an arrogant jerk while playing poorly & scared? Makes you soft IMO


I am convinced now that LeBron made the right DECISION by picking Heat over Knicks. Pressure of New York would have CRUSHED him.



I'm no hypocrite though. I'd take LeBron in a heartbeat if the #Knicks could acquire him for a bucket of KFC with extra large Coke



But even on #Knicks, LeBron would have to carry Landry Fields bags for at least a month before I started cutting him some slack.



I seriously thought I was hearing things when LeBron made that "go back to their lives" comment. I may have literally said "Oh no he didn't!" A Hollywood scriptwriter could not have come up with a better line to make it clear LeBron was the villain of this story.



Barkley spit at a fan; Rodman kicked cameraman; Artest ran into stands to fight fan; many NBA sucker punches. But LeBron REALLY messed up



Tiger Woods gave lamest public apology ever but was still smart enuf not to say "now go back to your sad sexless lives"



If LeBron defends Jason Terry a fraction as hard as his die hard fans defend him, Heat sweep. Nah. Simply means it takes Mavericks 7 games rather than 6 to get their rings.



Regarding his obnoxious press conference statments, he's been taking questions since high school. LeBron doesn't blurt things out at this stage of the game, he says what he means and either hopes it goes over okay or simply doesn’t care.

LeBron seemed very mature for his age coming out of high school. He has since stood still at best, possibly regressed.

You fail to score on exactly 100% of the shots you don't take.


Poor, deluded Shawn. Our educational system is failing today's youth. lol http://tinyurl.com/3r3mgda

Blame Michael Jordan - http://bit.ly/mK5N7L

@WhitlockJason piles on http://on-msn.com/l782Ut

Another good article about LeBron - http://es.pn/kbHWyF

What you up to, LeBron?

My blog allows me to speak publicly about the wonder of the world that is LeBron James, and my beloved Twitter allows me to speak not only of him but TO him. Are you listening, LBJ? If so, the following is what I have to say to you and fellow basketball fans.

"…a high % of sports fans hold little interest in parity. They want a clearly defined best team, a dynasty, led by an easily recognizable star, its emperor." I wrote these words in '01 in response to false Michael Jordan comeback rumor.

Do NBA fans want to see 3 of the game's elite (far more stacked than Boston's Big 3 or even Jordan, Pippen, Rodman) join forces to dominate league?



Do you like parity in sports, to wonder which team has what it takes to come out on top? Or do you prefer obvious supremacy from get go?



Do you prefer when 2-3 guys a team drafted grow into elite status & create a formidable team, or is free agent shopping spree fine by you?



Ideally I like to see homegrown talent blossom with a couple key acquisitions made to fortify (see '86 Mets for prime example).



Breaking News: Every NBA team has fired every player on their roster & are now all sufficiently under the cap to sign LeBron & his entourage.



Mel Gibson has courtside seats at Bulls, Heat, Nets & Cavs games but isn't allowed in Madison Square Garden. #FoodForThoughtForLeBron



Sign #LeBron & co-stars, meet Lakers in Finals, end reigns of Kobe & Phil Jackson for good. The mission is clear. #Knicks



I wonder if way back in 1776 our forefathers & foremothers realized that Independence Day weekend would eventually be all abt NBA free agency.



Nice of Knicks not to wait on announcing Amar’e signing. He deserves moment in sun prior to LeBron signing, at which point earth stops spinning.



I think LeBron should make his decision based on loyalty. Two teams have shown an abundance to him over his career, the Cavs and the Knicks.



The Knicks have assembled teams in recent years good enough to get 8th or 7th seed, but they kept dismantling squad & kept eyes on ultimate prize.



The Knicks strategy is unprecedented, I think. They put all their eggs in one basket, neither rebuilding nor quick fixing, just maintaining a holding pattern during which they’ve sabotaged all chances of improvement in the name of cap space preservation.



The Knicks have almost acted as if a secret deal has been in place all along. Fans kept supporting team of rented players while keeping faith in long term plan.



Obviously any team in NBA would love to have LeBron, but only the Knicks have made public a multi-year strategy to wait for chance to get him.



Will LeBron be a super rich, super famous, superstar anywhere he plays? YES. Is NY the greatest city on earth? YES. To play in? YES, when you win.



LeBron either has burning desire to be the ultimate hometown hero, or else he wants to rule Metropolis like Superman, emperor of Empire State.



If Nets were already in Brooklyn, maybe odds are 33% Nets, 33% Knicks, 33% Cavs, 1% retirement. Since they aren't (Newark, NJ just doesn’t cut it and Brooklyn is nice, but simply not synonymous with NYC the way Manhattan is), Cavs or Knicks it should be.



Newark, NJ already has coolest mayor ever in @CoryBooker - so it would be unfair if they also landed LeBron.



If LeBron goes elsewhere such as Chicago or Miami this story strikes me as having a lame ending. Not just as a Knicks fan but as a storyteller.



If LeBron doesn't come to NYK, Dolan & Walsh will be Lucille Ball, fans will be Desi, Lucy will have plenty of 'splainin to do about last few years.



If LeBron has so much love for hometown team he's played whole career for, why put them through this hellish circus?



How unfair is it that @kingjames has WAY more followers than me even though my tweet game is so much stronger?



What team will you sign with @kingjames? If you're concerned about putting your biz out in public domain, DM me. You'll need to follow me 1st though.



Reading "Why Lebron Will Go To NYK" articles is the equivalent of porn for Knicks fans. Or is it just me?!



LeBron refuses to give journalists the tip they crave. Eventually he'll sign with someone, but he's ticked off those who buy ink by the barrel.



WTF holds a press conference to announce they're staying where they've been all along? If LeBron remains a Cav he's getting #PimpSlapped



Will LeBron beat around the bush for 55 minutes to build drama before finally making announcement at end of his show? That would be a tad overkill, no?



My prediction is that LeBron will reveal on Thursday that he's still thinking about it, then bring out Brett Favre who'll reveal "me too".



People who ordinarily know nada & could care less about basketball are talking about LeBron. He has set the stage nicely. #JordanTigerApproved



It doesn't matter if LeBron has won championship rings yet. The only important thing to him is nailing performance of Man in the Mirror on Thursday. We already know he can dance like MJ. Practice your bawling LBJ, not just your ballin’.



LeBron James will do just fine no matter who he picks. Unless he picks Sarah Palin, that is.



LeBron is going to sign with some team and make a bunch of money just because he's black and black people get everything. #RushLimbaughLogic



Those who believe LeBron will team up with Bosh & Wade believe titles are most important to him, not proving he's game's best.



You can't believe that LeBron has a giant ego AND that he's ready to concede his only shot at title is by playing for an All Star team.



We already know LeBron can win it all when teamed with best of best (see US Olympic Dream Team)? Can he win with merely a solid squad?



How does LeBron continue being LeBron if he has to share the ball with Wade who deserves & will demand it just as much if not more?



LeBron and Bosh makes sense to me, as does LeBron and Amar'e, as does LeBron staying put. But All Star team in Miami? Not so much.



Of course plenty of things that make little sense to me end up happening anyway. I'm making no predictions just sharing my two cents. Okay, perhaps I’ve gone a bit over two cents by this point.



If LeBron joins up to win with Wade & Bosh he simply can't be next Jordan or Kobe. He can't be next Tim Duncan. Barely the next Paul Pierce.



There's no such thing as a co-King. You're either The King or you're one of many subjects.



Prince was right!!!! The internet is going away. Or rather, it's getting a new name. Starting tomorrow we'll be surfing the LeBronet.



Only thing these NBA star summits have been about is establishing timing of individual press conferences, not creation of SuperFriends team. But one never knows, do one?



My respect for LeBron is gone if after all this fuss he stays in place, or if he teams up with D-Wade rather than challenges him for dominance.



So ESPN couldn't or simply refused to send camera crew & reporter to Akron? 'Course not. Why travel to CT to announce that you're staying in OH?



I'm pulling for LeBron to end up on Knicks but can respect (unhappily) if he chooses Bulls or Nets instead. If it's Heat or Cavs, he's an idiot. #PointBlank #ReasonsHaveBeenClearlyStated



As if Twitter wasn't addictive enough before this LeBron craziness. Damn damn damn!



Beware Marbs encore! RT @ShamSports This time last year the biggest thing happening in world of the NBA was Stephon Marbury eating Vaseline.



We're all officially no longer allowed to make fun of Brett Favre.



If LeBron joins Wade & Bosh on Heat, "F Miami" is my new battle cry that I'm sure millions will join me in. Go Kobe, Go Howard, Go anyone else!



Granted "F the Heat" was already one of my battle cries, and not only on these 100+ degree days here in NYC, but ante will be upped big time.



Jordan didn't need to team up with Olajuwan & Malone, just needed a quality wingman and some spare complimentary parts. #JustSaying



Ideally, Wade+Bosh in Miami; LeBron+Amare in NY; Rose,Noah,Boozer+ in Chicago makes for reasonable parity & great rivalries in East.



It will be real nice if the Knicks obtain player who in all likelihood will be the NBA's best over next decade. But I'll settle for any players who make them relevant again. Also, I've changed my mind. Continue poking fun at Brett Favre if you wish. It's fun and the last thing I want to be is a buzzkill.


Is the way LeBron's handling this whole DECISION matter an eensy teensy bit overdramatic? Of course. But you'll find no mockery from me about it. He may manipulate the media however he wishes in whatever ways he's able, but he can't force the public to be riveted to his every calculated, strategized move. He guessed that we'd be fascinated by his plans and the rationale behind them, and the plain truth is, he guessed right.



RT @KingJames Good Morning! It's your chance to ask me a question about my decision, use #lebrondecision to submit and I'll answer them tonight.



Mr. James, my questions to you are – 1) Did you really think declaring yourself “King” was a good idea, even if you’re just claiming the kingdom of Akron for now? 2) Do you really want people to view you as NBA royalty? If so, do it the way prior kings have since the formula is a proven one. Lead a team that you’re clearly the best player on to multiple titles. My recommendation is the New York Knicks.


Final Note: LeBron is and will be a Superstar no matter what his next move is, but his buddy Jay Z is right - Everyday a star is born.

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