LeBron James is what’s wrong with America.
Cheering for the Heat to win the NBA Finals provides all the fun of rooting for death or taxes.
But does hating James make us hypocrites?
Before wagging a disapproving finger at the nation’s most famous basketball player for being self-absorbed, maybe the rest of us should take a peek in the mirror.
Sure, James turned his back and walked out on his lifelong home in Ohio so he could find his own sunny spot in Miami. But did James invent the Rust Belt? Or did we?
Everybody rooting for James and those who-do-they-think-they-are Heat players to get beat by Dallas might begin to understand why the rest of the world isn’t necessarily thrilled when a U.S. athlete stands atop the podium at the Olympic Games.
When the Heat beat Dallas 92-84 Tuesday night, it felt like more than the first victory in the best-of-seven series. Call it a preview of coming attractions. James, who scored 24 points and ripped open the game with a dunk late in the fourth quarter, can taste his first NBA championship. It won’t be his last.
LeBron James is what’s right with America.
The rebel spirit of this country is alive and well and wears No. 6 for the Miami Heat.
No athlete since Muhammad Ali has stuck it to the man and disobeyed convention more directly than James did. By joining forces with Dwyane Wade in Miami on his own terms and bringing Chris Bosh along for the ride, James made the rich guys who own NBA franchises look so foolish that they are going to shut down this league out of spite, but not before the Heat wins the league championship.
At a time when the average working stiff is being told he’s lucky to have a job, James is showing the NBA it’s lucky to have him to drive interest.
LeBron James is what divides America.
The throne once owned by the New York Yankees now belongs to King James.
He instigates as many arguments as pundits Bill O’Reilly and Rachel Maddow, except James has a lot more people watching him, proving what the unwashed masses really care about is sports, not politics.
The dunks of James bring noise. Slick television commercials written for the superstar can stop channel-surfers from clicking. But, in victory or defeat, the words of James are not particularly flamboyant. As a tennis brat, John McEnroe was a natural. The mouth of James, however, does not naturally roar. Without a basketball in his hands, this is the truth: He’s boring.
But by taking his talents to South Beach, the often soft-spoken James discovered what really sells in 21st century America: a polarizing figure.
“Made you look” is the mantra of the times. That’s why Mavericks owner Mark Cuban always keeps one eye peeled for the camera and old Brett Favre had such a hard time quitting football. Without really trying, James has forced the country to take sides. Heck, you wonder if actor Charlie Sheen might actually kill himself to attract so much attention.
LeBron James is what unites America.
We are hopeless addicts to over-the-top spectacles. Or did you miss how U2 is staging a rock concert to appear as if aliens are landing from outer space?
The Heat is the traveling salvation show in sports.
While he is no Michael Jordan, James is without question the best current player in the NBA. And he is the best reason to watch the championship series since Jordan retired.
James made Derrick Rose, the reigning MVP, look tentative and overmatched during the Eastern Conference finals. Does Dirk Nowitzki have a shot against James? Probably not, but we’ve got to find out.
Sure, James manipulated the process that landed him in Miami.
Back in the day, some punk quarterback from Stanford did pretty much the same thing when entering the NFL.
I think his name was John Elway.
Right or wrong, LeBron James is America.
Love him or leave it?
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
