Will LeBron James? First Title Make Sports Commentary Less Dumb?

By his own account, last year?s Finals loss made James go ?back to the basics? and work harder than he?s ever worked before. But suggestions that LeBron coasted on his natural talent for his first eight years in the NBA, or that he had to overcome his personal failings to make it to the mountaintop, say more about The Decision than about anything he?s done with a ball and a hoop. The problem with the LeBron turnaround narrative is that this postseason, the one that ended with a championship, wasn?t the anomaly. Rather, the outlier was last year?s Finals, in which he played far worse than he ever had in his career. In the 2009 postseason, for instance, he averaged 35 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists per game and shot 51 percent from the field. At that point, the only thing that needed to change for LeBron was his supporting cast. If he had won a title in Cleveland with Antawn Jamison by his side, they would?ve had to smash the Larry O?Brien Trophy and start awarding NBA champions a life-cast of The Chosen One?s face.

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