LeBron's Decision: What Champions are Made of

Image by JNikon via Flickr

We are officially one month removed from LeBron James' infamous "Decision." Since then, everyone from basketball Hall of Famers to casual fans have ripped the new Miami Heat superstar. Fans have burned jerseys, owners have written scathing letters, and comedians have spoofed the announcement event. As usual, I like to sleep on issues before I offer my reaction to them. That being said, having weighed the merits of every possible side to the debate of whether LeBron's decision was good/bad/justified, I can officially go on record and say that I applaud LeBron's decision. Although I think the way he delivered it was questionable, I believe he made the best choice and put himself in the best position to build a legacy defined by winning championships. Let's begin.

The following is a list of eleven individuals often considered among the top ten greatest players in NBA history. I present the names in no particular order. I took the names from a general survey of various lists compiled by basketball analysts, fans, writers, and present and former players and coaches. The players are:

Michael Jordan
Wilt Chamberlain
Magic Johnson
Larry Bird
Oscar Robertson
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Shaquille O'Neal
Kobe Bryant
Hakeem Olajuwon
Tim Duncan
Bill Russell

What made/makes these players great?  Number of championships? That's debatable. Oscar Robertson, widely considered the best point guard of all time, only won one NBA title and he is often included in most top ten lists. Furthermore, if we looked at sheer championships alone, then the likes of Robert Horry and KC Jones must be included in the list. What about individual accolades, like MVP awards or career points? Again, you could make that argument, but it has some glaring flaws. If you look at the top 10 career scoring leaders, the 2nd (Karl Malone), 6th (Moses Malone), 7th (Elvin Hayes), and 10th (Dominique Wilkins) ranked players are not on the above list. But who is on the list and almost uniformly ranked ahead of the three aforementioned players in any all-time greats discussion? The 33rd ranked all-time leading scorer, Tim Duncan. So there are some inconsistencies in that regard. Well, then, what about the "it" factor? I have no doubt that this is part of the equation, but because different players have different qualities that fit this category, and because "it" cannot be quantified, we cannot rank players solely on that basis. Thus, greatness is a combination of championships/winning, individual achievement, and a special "it" factor.

Now, let's take a look at that same list of eleven players, but this time I will make notes next to each of their names. Specifically, I will note the number of championships that player has won, the number of MVPs the player has won, the number of All-Star game appearances that the player has made, and a brief a couple words that describe the player's legacy or intangibles.

Michael Jordan - 6x champ/5x MVP/14x All-Star/killer instinct, competitiveness, winning

Bill Russell - 11x champ/5x MVP/12x AS/championships, winning, team-first

Wilt Chamberlain - 2x champ/4x MVP/13x AS/100 pt. game, domination

Magic Johnson - 5x champ/3x MVP/12x AS/creativity, versatility, leader

Larry Bird - 3x champ/3x MVP/12x AS/pure shooter, leader, clutch

Oscar Robertson - 1x champ/1x MVP/12x AS/triple double machine, first "big guard"

Kareem Abdul Jabbar - 6x champ/6x MVP/19x AS/the sky hook, all-time scoring leader

Shaquille O'Neal - 4x champ/1x MVP/15x AS/unstoppable down low, domination

Kobe Bryant - 5x champ/1x MVP/12x AS/killer instinct, dynamic scorer

Hakeem Olajuwon - 2x champ/1x MVP/12x AS/the Dream Shake, amazing athletic ability

Tim Duncan - 4x champ/2x MVP/12x AS/defense, consistency, humility, fundamental

The above breakdown only strengthens my definition of "greatness." With the exception of Robertson, each player on the list has multiple championships. Each player on this list has won at least one MVP. Each player on this list has been named to at LEAST 12 All-Star appearances. And finally, each player on the list has an "it" factor, whether it be their enormous drive to win, their ability to score and dominate games, or their ability to perform in crunch time. Before I continue, I know people will object to Robertson being on this list, as he is definitely the weakest, in terms of accolades, of the bunch. But you have to remember that he has just as many All-Star appearances as Larry Bird, as many MVPs as Shaq, Kobe, and Hakeem, he has one ring, he is the ONLY player in NBA history to average a triple-double over an entire season, and he revolutionized the point-guard position. If he's not in your top 10, he is in someone else's top 10, and deserves to be in the conversation at the very least.

These players are the greats of the game. They have set, and in some instances continue to set, the standard by which all future generations will be judged. So let's see how LeBron James measures up.

LeBron James - 0 championships/2x MVP/6x AS/amazing athletic ability, revolutionizing the point-forward position

Obviously, at this point, LeBron is nowhere near qualified to be on the all-time greats list. But he's only played seven full seasons in the league, and you figure he will play at least another seven years at an All-Star level. It also would be reasonable to predict that he will win another two MVP awards; his all-around numbers are so impressive and he will be playing the for awhile in the weaker Eastern conference on a winning team. That brings us to 4 MVPs and 13 All-Star appearances. Those two stats alone would fulfill the individual achievement criteria of greatness. And as I said earlier, he has the "it" factor. He might not have a YouTube archive's worth of buzzer beaters like MJ or Kobe, but you cannot deny that he has put together some big performances when his team has needed them, just ask the Pistons (and yes I admit he has choked in similar situations as well). But the "it" factor is more than just game-winning shots. Duncan, Shaq, Hakeem - those guys don't have multiple game-winners to their credit, but they still remain on the list. LeBron has "it," just a different "it" than Jordan or Kobe. And that's fine.

That brings us to championships. We all know LeBron has yet to win one. He went to the Finals once but was swept by Duncan and the Spurs. In order to make this list by the time his career ends, LeBron needs to win multiple championships. I think if he wins three, LeBron makes this list (assuming the rest of his individual accolades continue at the current pace). And I think LeBron knows this, and that's why he chose to join Wade and Bosh in Miami. Because going to Miami gives him the best chance to win those championships. The decision to go to Miami was fueled by a desire to win and a desire to create a legacy defined by championships. While I know you can never guarantee a championship because anything can happen in a given season, you cannot deny the fact that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh will be the most dominant trio in the NBA for the next five years. Anyone who makes that argument does so just to be a pain in the butt. Don't take that person seriously. LeBron and Wade are two of the top three players in the NBA (Kobe being the other). But the torch is passing quickly to these guys. I give Kobe another year before he is behind the other two in terms of potential to takeover a game. Bosh is a top 20 player in the NBA. And Miami recently showed us that they can surround these guys with decent role players. Now the only thing that needs to happen is the Heat need to learn to play together in a system that puts them in a position to succeed. And I think that will happen in due time.

So why is everyone hating on LeBron for his decision?

I admit that the decision making surrounding "The Decision" was absolutely horrid. LeBron's marketing team clearly has not taken Public Relations 101. And yes I know LeBron devastated the fans of Cleveland by leaving, and the way he did it was pretty brutal, but he had the right to do it. Cleveland is not entitled to his services in any way. He was a free agent and if anyone else was in his shoes they probably would have chosen to leave as well (more on this later). Again, it was a PR disaster. I get that. But in the grand scheme of things, does this misstep really matter? Is it a legacy defining blunder? No. And here's why:  Because winning is everything. At the end of the day, if you believe what the media, analysts, and players and coaches preach, championships matter and everything else is just decoration. If this isn't true, then why do our all-time greats lists never include Karl Malone or Charles Barkley? Malone won 2 MVPs, was selected to 13 All-Star games, is second in career points scored, and was one of the most dominant power forwards of all time. And Barkley won 1 MVP, was selected to 11 All-Star games, is considered perhaps the best rebounder of all time, and accomplished all this despite being undersized for his position (listed at 6 ft. 6 inches). Well, the reason why these two are omitted from most lists is because they combined to win ZERO championships. They failed to fulfill the first of my three criteria for greatness. People know and remember this about them and they place significant value on this shortcoming when discussing their career legacies. By choosing to join the Miami Heat, LeBron told us he does not want to be lumped in with the players that just fell short. He does not want to be another Malone or Barkley. And I respect that.

If LeBron stayed with the Cavaliers, I think he heading straight for Malone/Barkley territory. The Cavaliers consistently fell short in the playoffs, despite posting great regular season records. And while you can blame that on LeBron because he is the leader and two-time MVP, nobody can do the job alone. In fact, a glance at the rosters of each of the past six NBA finals champions reveals that a team needs at least two All-Star caliber guys on their roster in addition to quality role players. Let's take a look at some past examples.

2010 Lakers:  Kobe, Pau Gasol

2009 Lakers:  Kobe, Gasol

2008 Celtics:  Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett

2007 Spurs:  Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker

2006 Heat:  Dwyane Wade, Shaq

2005 Spurs:  Duncan, Ginobili, Parker

Did LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers teams have talent to rival those past champions? No. The best players the Cavs brought in to help LeBron was either Mo Williams or Antawn Jamison. Neither players are proven. Neither players are considered winners in the NBA circle. The Cavs never brought in a defensive stopper like the Lakers had in Artest, like the Celtics had in James Posey, like the Spurs had in Bruce Bowen, and like the Heat had in Posey. I honestly think LeBron would have rot away on that Cavs team, thereby creating a legacy of another great player to never win a championship (side note:  other players in danger of creating a similar legacy are Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Allen Iverson, all MVP winners and multiple time All-Stars without championships). All great players need help. So I don't buy the "LeBron couldn't do it by himself" argument. Of course he couldn't. Jordan couldn't! When Jordan and Bulls won their titles, Jordan had Pippen and Rodman by his side. Pippen is a Top 50 player of all time, and during his prime probably a top 5 player in the league. Rodman is one of the greatest rebounders of all time and a proven winner as his rings from Detroit evidence. Kobe had Shaq, another Top 10 player of all time on our list above. And while I understand there is a different between LeBron going to Miami versus Wade and Bosh going to Cleveland, maybe Miami is just a better organization to play for. I sure as hell think so.

So let's say this move gives LeBron three rings. In twenty years, when we are sitting around and evaluating LeBron's legacy, will you legitimately object to crowning him a Top 10 All-Time player because of his PR blunder? Are you saying that an off-the-court marketing mistake will cost him a spot among the league's icons? That would be a ridiculously short-sighted comment/opinion. Winning cures all. Ask Kobe Bryant. His image was completely tarnished after the sexual assault fiasco during the summer of 2003. Not only was this a PR nightmare, but it involved a very serious crime. Well, fast forward to 2010, two championships and one MVP later, and Bryant, based on his on-the-court achievements, is widely considered an all-time great. Winning cures all. And I expect nothing different for LeBron. Ultimately, it was a smart decision for an amazing athlete. Although there were sacrifices made along the way (he took a pay cut and alienated hometown fans), LeBron chose winning over everything else and paved his path to greatness.