Bill Simmons on LBJ

[fundamentals]

We are all witnesses:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ortCat=nba

[CAVSTRIBEBROWNSin07!]

In my book, I wrote about how Michael Jordan's competitiveness separated him from everyone else, but so did his force of personality. He had a knack for pulling every eyeball in the room his way ... even a room with 18,000 people in it. Referees and opponents fawned over him. Teammates followed his instructions like drones. If he made an unusually splendid play and glanced into the stands for approval, entire sections would swoon. Command of the room. That's what Jordan had. Kobe doesn't have it, and he never had it. That will always be the difference between them.

LeBron? He's getting there. I saw it with my own eyes Saturday. The Cavs emerged for warm-ups and I heard that same familiar squeal from MJ's prime. Urgent. Pleading. Desperate.

LeBron! LEBRON! LAAAAAAA-BRONNNNNNNNNN!

Interestingly enough, I actually emailed Simmons on this very point after reading his account of MJ at the Boston Garden, when Jordan sort of winked to the crowd. I informed him that IMO, LeBron has reached that status already. I guess he agreed with me.

Know this: The Kobe-LeBron argument is dead. It's over. LeBron James is the best basketball player alive.

Over/under on the amount of Laker fans that get this line sent to them by Cavs fans: Every single one.

[Juannieboy]

He should have added this line:

You do these things when LeBron passes through town. Hey, we see celebrities all the time in Los Angeles. We walk by them on the street, pull up next to them in intersections, sit near them in restaurants. There's something of a code in place. You don't stare at celebs. You don't approach them. You don't stand two feet away and snap cell phone pictures. You don't grab their asses during their pre-game warm ups. You show them respect. You leave them alone. Along with the weather and the lifestyle, that's the biggest reason stars like living here. They aren't treated like lions in the zoo.

[jordan kramer]

great article. love simmons, agree with it completely. i think after 7 seasons of the top sports figure in cleveland's history (jim brown was like 30 years before my time), we have all taken him for granted. i really hope he stays in cleveland, but if he doesn't, i won't be shocked one bit

[justmebd]

When I lived in Phoenix, the whole town came to a halt when the Cavs landed at Sky Harbor.

LeBron opened a park about four blocks from my place last year (about two months before I had to move back to this frozen, grey landscape). The story of Lebron opening a new park was the top story on the 6 p.m. Newscast.

Everyone bowed down to the guy, it was like the Pope had come to town.

I saw as many LeBron jerseys around Phoenix as I did Shaq jerseys.

[papacass]

great article. love simmons, agree with it completely. i think after 7 seasons of the top sports figure in cleveland's history (jim brown was like 30 years before my time), we have all taken him for granted. i really hope he stays in cleveland, but if he doesn't, i won't be shocked one bit

I don't think I've taken him for granted. I don't think most fans have.

And can we stop with the "Anticipate the worst, hope for the best" drumbeat? We all know, it's Cleveland, nothing good ever happens here. TCE, OIC, Drive, Fumble, Shot, Mesa and whatnot. But it gets tiresome to read the same "Because it's Cleveland" argument.

Didn't we already go through all of this with a certain poster whose name started with "T" and ended with "H" and is thankfully no longer posting here?

[rebelwithoutaclue]

great article. love simmons, agree with it completely. i think after 7 seasons of the top sports figure in cleveland's history (jim brown was like 30 years before my time), we have all taken him for granted. i really hope he stays in cleveland, but if he doesn't, i won't be shocked one bit

I don't think I've taken him for granted. I don't think most fans have.

And can we stop with the "Anticipate the worst, hope for the best" drumbeat? We all know, it's Cleveland, nothing good ever happens here. TCE, OIC, Drive, Fumble, Shot, Mesa and whatnot. But it gets tiresome to read the same "Because it's Cleveland" argument.

Didn't we already go through all of this with a certain poster whose name started with "T" and ended with "H" and is thankfully no longer posting here?

I definitely haven't taken him for granted. I know history when I see it. Still get a few odd looks when I tell my friends I'd rather stay at home for a weekend Cavs game rather than go out and get plastered.

[jordan kramer]

ehh, i guess i'm a bad fan for not fully appreciating his talents ALL the time. 60-40 he stays, championship or not. simply my opinion

[hermanfontenot]

It's cool that Bill doesn't think LBJ is the second coming of Eric Lindros, like he did three years ago.

[Ea$t $ide]

It's cool that Bill doesn't think LBJ is the second coming of Eric Lindros, like he did three years ago.

I believe he also compared him to Martina Hingis...LOL...