JUST TRY AND STOP HIM!

ON THURSDAY MAY 31ST, 2007, AMERICA GOT TO WITNESS ONE OF THE TRULY GREAT PLAYOFF PERFORMANCES. IN GAME 5 OF THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BEAT THE DETROIT PISTONS 109-107 IN DOUBLE OVERTIME TO TAKE A 3-2 ADVANTAGE IN THE SERIES. LEBRON JAMES WOULD SCORE THE CAVS LAST 25 POINTS TO SEAL THE DEAL AS HE FINISHED WITH 48 FOR THE GAME. I GOT HOME LATE THAT NIGHT AFTER ANOTHER CONVINCING TENNIS VICTORY, WHICH IS FOR ANOTHER DAY AND ANOTHER POST, BUT ANYWAY, I DECIDED TO CATCH THE END OF THE GAME. WHO KNEW THAT I WOULD BASICALLY GET TO SEE A WHOLE OTHER GAME. THE CAVS GAMEPLAN WAS FOR EVERYONE TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY AND LET KING JAMES DO HIS THING. HE HAD BEEN CONSTINTLEY CRITICIZED FOR NOT TAKING THE BIG SHOT IN THE 4TH QUARTER AND BEING TOO PASSIVE. APPARENTLY HE TOOK THOSE WORDS TO HEART AND HE JUST FLAT OUT TOOK OVER. 3 OR 4 PISTONS CHASED HIM AROUND THE COURT AND HE JUST MADE THEM LOOK FOOLISH AT TIMES. TO ME THIS WAS THE FIRST REAL BIG STAMP THAT LEBRON PUT ON THIS LEAGUE AND FOR HIS OWN STATUS. THIS WAS THE WORST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE 3 YEARS AGO AND NOW HE HAS LED THEM TO THE NBA FINALS. THE CRITICISM HOWEVER IS FAR FROM OVER. YES THAT WAS ONE BIG PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE, BUT IT IS JUST THAT, ONE PERFORMANCE. THE GREATS OF OLD SUCH AS JORDAN, BIRD, MAGIC, DID IT NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE ILLUSTRIOUS CAREERS. LEBRON IS FAR FROM REACHING THEIR STATUS, BUT IT IS ALSO FAR FROM IMPOSSIBLE. HE HAS AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF TALENT, AND THE POTENTIAL IS THERE TO BE THE BEST EVER. THE HARD PART WITH THAT IS THAT THE NBA IS STILL NO WHERE NEAR WHAT IT ONCE WAS. THE COMPETITION ISNT AS GOOD AS IT ONCE WAS EITHER. WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN THOUGH? THIS GUY IS 22 YEARS OLD FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. ASSUMING HE STAYS HEALTHY, HE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO. THERE ARE CONSTANT COMPARISONS TO HIM AND MICHAEL JORDAN. RIGHT NOW IN MY EYES, THERE IS NO COMPARISON. I COMPARE THE START OF THEIR CAREERS BEING SOMEWHAT SIMILAR WITH THE WAY THEY HAVE HAD TO TRY AND IMPROVE THEIR RESPECTIVE TEAMS AND GET THROUGH THE DETROIT PISTONS. MICHAEL HAD THE ABILITY TO TAKE OVER A GAME ANYTIME HE SAW FIT. LEBRON HASNT DONE THAT ENOUGH TO BE THROWN IN THIS CATEGORY. I WILL SAY THOUGH THAT GAME 5 THE OTHER NIGHT HAD TO QUIET SOME OF HIS CRITICS. IT TRULY WAS ONE OF THE BEST PLAYOFF PERFORMANCES OF ALL TIME. I REALIZE HE IS A ONE MAN WRECKING CREW, BUT TO SCORE 25 STRAIGHT AND 29 OF THE LAST 30 IS JUST RIDICULOUS. THE PISTONS HAD NO ANSWER ON THAT NIGHT. I WAS GLAD TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS IT. CURRENTLY THERE ARE COMPARISONS BETWEEN LEBRON AND KOBE BRYANT. I WOULD TAKE LEBRON ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. KOBE IS THE BEST SCORER IN THE LEAGUE NO QUESTION, BUT HE TRULY IS A SELFISH PLAYER, AND HE IS CHUCKING UP 35-40 SHOTS A NIGHT. LEBRON TRIES TO GET HIS TEAMMATES INVOLVED, HITS THE BOARDS, AND IT SHOWS AS HE HAS LED HIS TEAM TO THE FINALS. KOBE WILL NEVER LEAD THE LAKERS BACK TO THE POINT. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHAT WILL HAPPEN AGAINST THE SPURS. I WOULD BE VERY SHOCKED IF THE CAVS FOUND A WAY TO BEAT THE SPURS. THEY ARE SHOOTING FOR THEIR 4TH CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1999. IN ANY EVENT FOR LEBRON TO LEAD THE CAVS TO THE FINALS IN HIS 4TH SEASON IS A GREAT THING. CONGRATS TO HIM ON ONE UNBELIEVABLE PERFORMANCE ON THURSDAY NIGHT.