Respect to Lebron

[crimson_stallion]

I just wanted to say, respect to Lebron.

Throughout the season and the Playoffs everybody has been writing off what Lebron has achieved for his team. 

First it was "Lebron needs two other stars to win". 
Then it was "The East is weak, he'd fail in the West'
Then it was "He had an easy playoff run"

I must admit, I pretty much said every one of those things myself, at some point or other.

But right now, Lebron has no stars playing alongside him, and he's playing a Western Conference team that's pretty much healthy, and that happens to be THE best team in the NBA this year...and he has the Cavs up 2-1.

If the Cavs are able to beat the Warriors without Irving or Love, then that will pretty much silence any argument that anybody can ever make against Lebron being one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Even if the Cavs do get eliminated, the fact that they even competed against the Warriors in their current state is a testament to just how great a player Lebron is. 

I may dislike him as a person.  He he may be arrogant. He may even be an entitled, princess Diva. 

But whatever he is, the man has game...gotta respect that.   

Disclaimer: I know that the flaming will come my way for what I'm about to write.  I'm ready to accept that.

[LarBrd33]

He's amazing.  True greatness is rare.  He's got it.   The hate for him is petty.  People should stop and appreciate what he's accomplishing.   You're in the midst of watching one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game perform at the highest level in his prime. 

[MJohnnyboy]

Can't disagree, and I despise Lebron extremely.

I will say Golden State has been off (I worry they may be the 2012 Thunder part deux) but nonetheless, Lebron's been phenomenal. If he wins this, there's no doubt in my mind he's a top 5 player of all time. If he does something like this again, he's in the Jordan-Russell discussion. Just putting that out there now. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying that.

[crimson_stallion]

Can't disagree, and I despise Lebron extremely.

I will say Golden State has been off (I worry they may be the 2012 Thunder part deux) but nonetheless, Lebron's been phenomenal. If he wins this, there's no doubt in my mind he's a top 5 player of all time. If he does something like this again, he's in the Jordan-Russell discussion. Just putting that out there now. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying that.

Not by me.

I don't think Jordan ever won a title when surrounded by as little talent as Lebron has right now. 

That Cleveland team without Love and Irving is downright terrible...

[LarBrd33]

Can't disagree, and I despise Lebron extremely.

I will say Golden State has been off (I worry they may be the 2012 Thunder part deux) but nonetheless, Lebron's been phenomenal. If he wins this, there's no doubt in my mind he's a top 5 player of all time. If he does something like this again, he's in the Jordan-Russell discussion. Just putting that out there now. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying that.

I don't think Jordan ever won a title when surrounded by as little talent as Lebron has right now. 

The Bulls were a 55 win team without Jordan.   We have plenty of proof that the Cavs/Heat without LeBron don't even make the playoffs.

[SparzWizard]

"But now LeBron has J.R. Smith, Timofey Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova, and Iman Shumpert!!"

As much as I hate this guy, I gotta give him props for averaging 41 ppg in the NBA Finals...all without two all-star caliber players, one of whom is an all-star MVP and rookie of the year and the other who's an all NBA-second team and a formerly rebounding leader of the year lol.

[BornReady]

Lebrun is playing incredible
Without the teams 2 best players they are up 2-1

I think warriors win but this finals is pretty crazy but not as crazy as the heat-Spurs 2012-2013
Hopefully curry begins shooting better

[Denis998]

He's amazing.  True greatness is rare.  He's got it.   The hate for him is petty.  People should stop and appreciate what he's accomplishing.   You're in the midst of watching one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game perform at the highest level in his prime.

Come 20 years, the same people hating him now are going to be the ones idolizing him, the same way that Jordan is idolized now.

[D.o.s.]

He's amazing.  True greatness is rare.  He's got it.   The hate for him is petty.  People should stop and appreciate what he's accomplishing.   You're in the midst of watching one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game perform at the highest level in his prime.

Come 20 years, the same people hating him now are going to be the ones idolizing him, the same way that Jordan is idolized now.

I don't think that's true. I think that a lot of the people who thought Jordan was overrated still think he is: it's just that the fans who grew up in the throes of the Nike adverts are now 20 years older and more vocal about how he was, definitively, the best player of all time.

I am wholeheartedly in that category, by the way. I know Russell was the most successful of all time, I know that Wilt was the greatest basketball player ever, and I'll be more than happy to put LeBron somewhere close to the 'greatest ever' echelon even if he wouldn't make my personal top 5, but I'm taking Jordan in his prime over LeBron 10 times out of 10 because he's just better to my inner child (who was a total 90's Bulls bandwagoner).

[Celtics18]

He's amazing.  True greatness is rare.  He's got it.   The hate for him is petty.  People should stop and appreciate what he's accomplishing.   You're in the midst of watching one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game perform at the highest level in his prime.

Come 20 years, the same people hating him now are going to be the ones idolizing him, the same way that Jordan is idolized now.

Twenty years from now, I'll probably feel much the same way about Lebron James that I do about Michael Jordan now.

I always recognized Jordan's greatness while he played.  I never rooted for him, though.  Always rooted for the "underdog" to take him down. 

[Moranis]

He's amazing.  True greatness is rare.  He's got it.   The hate for him is petty.  People should stop and appreciate what he's accomplishing.   You're in the midst of watching one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game perform at the highest level in his prime.

Come 20 years, the same people hating him now are going to be the ones idolizing him, the same way that Jordan is idolized now.

Twenty years from now, I'll probably feel much the same way about Lebron James that I do about Michael Jordan now.

I always recognized Jordan's greatness while he played.  I never rooted for him, though.  Always rooted for the "underdog" to take him down.

but isn't Lebron the underdog

[manl_lui]

his stats are also unreal, 40 11 and 8 I believe are his average this finals. No Love no Irving

he has a lot to prove and a lot of pressure with the

he needs 2 stars to win
he will never bring a championship to Cleveland

ultimately he wants to go out as one of the best if not the best to play the game, and this series will define his legacy

[gift]

He's amazing.  True greatness is rare.  He's got it.   The hate for him is petty.  People should stop and appreciate what he's accomplishing.   You're in the midst of watching one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game perform at the highest level in his prime.

This is why I am actually rooting for the Cavs. I just want to see something great and hope for it to happen. As great a team as the Warriors are, there are teams like them every year (or at least every few years). This performance by Lebron James, capped by a championship, would be legendary. I want to see that and remember it. It will be a long, long time before something like this could happen again.

[Celtics4ever]

LeBron is taking over, I was wrong, he did not wilt.   But there is still time.

[soap07]

Gotta give credit to Blatt too. His defensive schemes are really smothering the Warriors.