When Lebron James moves cities, it normally causes earthquakes.
He arrived to an earthquake of expectations in 2003 as the first overall draft pick. He left in 2009 for Miami.
The arrival to Miami was a 3.0 on the Richter Scale. Miami already had star Dwayne Wade playing for them, but Lebron and D-Wade together? With Ray Allen, who owned one of the smoothest three-point shots in NBA history? Wow. With it came two NBA Championships.
He returned to Cleveland in 2014. Richter Scale 5.0. He decided to follow his dreams (again) and bring a title back to his home state (he's actually from Akron, Ohio...who's notable alumni include Alcoholics Anonymous and one Jeffrey Dahmer). The tears flowed. The excitement brewed. We were all witnesses as 'The King' lifted the team on his shoulders and took them to their first title in 58 years. It was truly amazing.
And then on Sunday morning, there was an earthquake that's used to the odd tremor....Los Angeles. He announced that he was joining the Lakers for a cool $153m spread over 4 years. Richter Scale 6, which will soon be made into a film and starring No.23.
COMPETITOR TO COLLAPSES
LeBron James certainly makes his teams better when he arrives. In first years on the court, he won the rookie of the year in his first year and took Cleveland from sporting nowhere to one NBA Finals (lost) and a conference final and three conference semi-finals.
After he moved to Miami, the Heat went back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. After another Finals loss, he led the team to back-to-back NBA Finals victories.
And when he came to Cleveland, he has taken to them to four straight NBA Finals -- and won one of them.
But with the height of a rollercoaster comes the fall afterwards. The 2010 Cavaliers fell to a 19-63 record (15th-best record in the NBA) after appearing in the NBA Finals the year before. The 2014 Heat fell to a 35-47 record. We will be interested - and sadly witnesses - to how Cleveland will fare.
LEAVING AFTER LOSS
Here's one thing we found funny about LeBron James' departures: Every time King James has left his throne in Cleveland and Miami, it's been after his team has lost major play-off series.
In 2009 James left Cleveland for Miami after the team lost to the Celtics in the play-off semi-finals, in an effort to get the ring he needed.
In 2014 he left Miami after the team was whacked by the Spurs in the NBA Finals because he was called to come home. It was somewhat poetic at the time, and seemed like W.B. Yeats when he was crowned a year or two later.
And in 2018 after going 1-3 in NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors (and losing the final series), he's off again.
In other words, LeBron doesn't like coming away without more rings than the three he already has.
SO WHY LA?
If there's one move I don't understand in the LeBron James playbook from one standpoint, it's this one. LeBron James doesn't need the adoration. He's got it throughout the NBA. Although he's relatively unknown worldwide compared to the Lionel Messis and Ronaldos (or even cricket Sachin Tendulkar in India), he's a household name in the USA. The move to LA, where he'll be surrounded by A-List celebrities like Jay-Z, and Beyonce for every game at the Staples Center for the next four years, will be expanded. If there's anywhere where we'll see more LeBron, it's this one. We don't know if this will lead to James getting to Michael Jordan status, but it'll be pretty close. Except Jordan won a bunch of championships and James' record (generally due to the rubbish that surrounded him in most of those teams) ain't great.
But from a playing standpoint, we just don't get it. He's walking into a team that hasn't won a title since 2010 and hasn't been relevant (basketball-wise) since 2013. The only talk about the 'Lakeshow' has been Kobe Bryant's leaving in 2016, and arrival of Lonzo Ball last year. And Ball's arrival was mainly because of his father, who seems to have a lot of opinions (to put it nicely).
But LeBron walking into the fire won't just be because of the LA media market and all the 'fun' it brings with that (We just ask that you were better than Michael Jordan in Space Jam). It'll be because the Western Conference is absolutely stacked. The West has had better record than the East for the last 17 out of 18 years. The West has won 6 out of the last 10 NBA Finals. There are already two great teams in the Conference in Houston and Golden State. And I don't think LA will be the third anytime soon....unless they pick up another great name like Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs in free agency.
This should be fun.
He arrived to an earthquake of expectations in 2003 as the first overall draft pick. He left in 2009 for Miami.
The arrival to Miami was a 3.0 on the Richter Scale. Miami already had star Dwayne Wade playing for them, but Lebron and D-Wade together? With Ray Allen, who owned one of the smoothest three-point shots in NBA history? Wow. With it came two NBA Championships.
He returned to Cleveland in 2014. Richter Scale 5.0. He decided to follow his dreams (again) and bring a title back to his home state (he's actually from Akron, Ohio...who's notable alumni include Alcoholics Anonymous and one Jeffrey Dahmer). The tears flowed. The excitement brewed. We were all witnesses as 'The King' lifted the team on his shoulders and took them to their first title in 58 years. It was truly amazing.
And then on Sunday morning, there was an earthquake that's used to the odd tremor....Los Angeles. He announced that he was joining the Lakers for a cool $153m spread over 4 years. Richter Scale 6, which will soon be made into a film and starring No.23.
COMPETITOR TO COLLAPSES
LeBron James certainly makes his teams better when he arrives. In first years on the court, he won the rookie of the year in his first year and took Cleveland from sporting nowhere to one NBA Finals (lost) and a conference final and three conference semi-finals.
After he moved to Miami, the Heat went back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. After another Finals loss, he led the team to back-to-back NBA Finals victories.
And when he came to Cleveland, he has taken to them to four straight NBA Finals -- and won one of them.
But with the height of a rollercoaster comes the fall afterwards. The 2010 Cavaliers fell to a 19-63 record (15th-best record in the NBA) after appearing in the NBA Finals the year before. The 2014 Heat fell to a 35-47 record. We will be interested - and sadly witnesses - to how Cleveland will fare.
LEAVING AFTER LOSS
Here's one thing we found funny about LeBron James' departures: Every time King James has left his throne in Cleveland and Miami, it's been after his team has lost major play-off series.
In 2009 James left Cleveland for Miami after the team lost to the Celtics in the play-off semi-finals, in an effort to get the ring he needed.
In 2014 he left Miami after the team was whacked by the Spurs in the NBA Finals because he was called to come home. It was somewhat poetic at the time, and seemed like W.B. Yeats when he was crowned a year or two later.
And in 2018 after going 1-3 in NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors (and losing the final series), he's off again.
In other words, LeBron doesn't like coming away without more rings than the three he already has.
SO WHY LA?
If there's one move I don't understand in the LeBron James playbook from one standpoint, it's this one. LeBron James doesn't need the adoration. He's got it throughout the NBA. Although he's relatively unknown worldwide compared to the Lionel Messis and Ronaldos (or even cricket Sachin Tendulkar in India), he's a household name in the USA. The move to LA, where he'll be surrounded by A-List celebrities like Jay-Z, and Beyonce for every game at the Staples Center for the next four years, will be expanded. If there's anywhere where we'll see more LeBron, it's this one. We don't know if this will lead to James getting to Michael Jordan status, but it'll be pretty close. Except Jordan won a bunch of championships and James' record (generally due to the rubbish that surrounded him in most of those teams) ain't great.
But from a playing standpoint, we just don't get it. He's walking into a team that hasn't won a title since 2010 and hasn't been relevant (basketball-wise) since 2013. The only talk about the 'Lakeshow' has been Kobe Bryant's leaving in 2016, and arrival of Lonzo Ball last year. And Ball's arrival was mainly because of his father, who seems to have a lot of opinions (to put it nicely).
But LeBron walking into the fire won't just be because of the LA media market and all the 'fun' it brings with that (We just ask that you were better than Michael Jordan in Space Jam). It'll be because the Western Conference is absolutely stacked. The West has had better record than the East for the last 17 out of 18 years. The West has won 6 out of the last 10 NBA Finals. There are already two great teams in the Conference in Houston and Golden State. And I don't think LA will be the third anytime soon....unless they pick up another great name like Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs in free agency.
This should be fun.
