The King of WHAT? by Chris Wallace

It's been two straight years as the favorites. There have been two straight early exits, leaving the team in bitter disappointment. And for the second straight year, there will be no Kobe-LeBron debate to settle..sorry fans..sorry ESPN..sorry ratings..sorry Kobe, Shaq and Phil Jackson. In fact, LeBron should probably issue a public apology for such a lousy performance this series (aside from Game 3) and snatching away our opportunity to FINALLY see a Kobe-LeBron showdown. Though LeBron James has never finished the season off hoisting the most important trophy, something seemed oddly and wildly different about this year's early exit. Actually, it seemed a little surreal almost as if you were watching a super hero get destroyed. Regardless of the demeanor of "King" James, a piece of him got ripped away in this series, a legacy has become partially tarnished (though he's only seven years in and has time to recoup) and the way others perceive him now is vastly different than the way most perceived him prior to this series.

What we "witnessed" from one King James this series is a player who:
a. Quit on his team in Game 5 and Game 6 of this series
b. Threw his team and coach under the bus with comments and statements that were clearly selfish and teetering the line of "arrogant invincibility"
c. Had his own personal agenda

Matter or fact, I think it's about time to remove that "King" moniker from his name. A king, by definition, means a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom or a competitor who holds a preeminent position. How about this definition of king: "preeminence in a particular category or group or field." For the sake of argument, I think it's now fair to say that LeBron is indeed the king (of the regular season---hey, he is preeminent in a particular category right?), based on the last definition above, and it certainly isn't the type of king we've come to expect.

Great players in this league become great for many reasons: leading by example, having great overall skill and most importantly, winning. LeBron James has YET to accomplish the latter..not to say it can't happen, but it's about time that a player like Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade get more respect for what THEY have accomplished on the basketball court. For all of that dancing and disrespecting other teams and being a "team" guy during the regular season, I'm sure it was refreshing to James' teammates that he found ways to say things such as "I spoil a lot of people with my play. When I have three bad games in seven years, it's easy to point them out." He went on even more and stated “I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out and be great and the best player on the court. When I don’t, I feel bad for myself.” In regard to his free agency, LeBron stated “Me and my team, we have a game plan that we’re gong to execute. I've given myself options.” How bout that from your back-to-back MVP?

What we're hearing from LeBron these days is more of self-righteousness than that of accountability. We're hearing from a player who's used to people kissing his feet, not being 100% truthful to him and allowing him to carry on as if he's the only person in the world that matters. Boston didn't care and it showed. They treated him as if he were the new guy in the school who was taking everyone's girlfriend. And for the second straight year, LeBron will watch as someone else moves forward and he sits and waits for someone to coming rushing to his aid...someone to tell him something along these lines: "You're better than Kobe even though he has four titles." Truth be told, LeBron ISN'T greater than Kobe. He isn't greater than the game of basketball itself, but don't tell him that as he and his "team" of agents, groupies, butt-kissers and others "have a plan and plan to execute it." The way LeBron is sounding these days, his plans are to clearly hold the remainder of the playoffs hostage until July 1, 2010, when the biggest free agent in the league's history will flirt with team after team until he finally chooses one. If you read between the lines, he basically said "to hell with the rest of the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals. I AM the story." But if he's forgotten, let me remind him now that KOBE BRYANT IS STILL PLAYING. And by all means, EVERYONE will be watching Kobe for as long as he's playing. You can bet your last dollar on that!

As for LeBron's future, who knows what will happen once July 1st comes. Who knows what team he'll be wearing number 6 for next season..the Bulls? the Knicks? the Heat? The Cavs? Quite honestly at this point, who cares. Aren't teams still playing????? So until July 1, LeBron can continue doing what he did in this series against the Celtics: Be Quiet!