I'm not sure what is happening to me. I know that I should hate LeBron. I know that I should be appalled by his decision to go to Miami. I know that I should feel sorry for Cleveland. The strange thing is that from the start I have not been bothered by the situation. I know LeBron could have handled things better. I know that he is spoiled. I know that he isn't sincere in anything he does. For some reason though, I enjoyed watching LeBron walk into QuickenLoans Arena and crush Cleveland last night. I won't claim to have watched the whole game (in fact all I saw was his first foul shots in the first quarter, the first half of the third quarter and all of the fourth quarter), but what I did see I liked. A lot. The Cavs were down by 19 at halftime. The fans really tried to get into the game at the start of the three, but every time LeBron was booed and every time the fans chanted "Scottie Pippen" or "Akron Hates You", he stepped up and drained shots. I was studying LeBron's body language. He was definitely feeling it, but he wasn't outwardly rubbing it in. He was confident, not cocky. I know it was against a really bad team and that he still has to do it against the likes of the Celtics, but he couldn't be stopped and he knew it. I loved watching him kill the crowd the way he did.
Here is what I would love even more. I would really love for LeBron would embrace his inner villain. You know, act like a professional wrestler. Throw the chalk in the air. Have a cocky strut during warm-ups. After the game, get on the microphone. Make it seem like an apology is coming for a second, before sticking a knife in their back. Talk about how he never cared for the fans. How Cleveland is not Akron. Talk about them not deserving his talents. The fans would go apeshit. Beer and chairs would be thrown. The NBA would officially have a villain again for the first time since the Bad Boy Pistons. NBA ratings would go through the roof. If the league wants proof, look no further than the nWo in WCW. The ratings were never higher. Fans want to see the bad guys lose. It's in our nature. If the LeBron and the Heat truly embraced their role, it would be dynamite.
12/3/10 11:44AM UPDATE - Ok, I am just watching the LeBron-nWo viral video for the first time. I had NO idea this was going around when I suggested he go nWo style. I am happy that the comparison has legs, but not a big fan that others thought of it before me...damn
He did throw the chalk in the air which enraged the crowd but apart from that it was nothing really. Since I have ties to Cleveland, I really feel for that town, its had a hard road with sports (Browns close in the 80s, Modahl stealing the Browns, Indians being in Major League and losing to the Braves/Yankees/Red Sox, LeBron and his drama), so I feel its good for them to get angry about it but I hope they now move on, if you build your sports goals around one individual, its not sustainable and I hope they realize that. As for LeBron? I think he is interesting but ultimately very self indulgent. I dont think he really wanted to be an ass but I think he was ultra naive in thinking that everyone would wish him well if he played the King in the way he did.
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