NBA / Jun 15, 2011 / 1:15 pm

What The NBA Finals And LeBron Taught Us About Life

By

LeBron James

LeBron James (photo. Nike)

The looming question is this: Will James now realize, as Cavs owner Dan Gilbert tweeted, that he’s not in an atmosphere of his own? And will he realize that the easy way out doesn’t exist, that even choosing two superstar teammates means a championship takes chemistry, hard work?

LeBron has time to accept that, and his personal reflection will be the difference. It’s a lesson in life. Dallas won because the Mavericks learned that even if talented players mesh with the game’s bests, individuals can’t be stagnant. They needed the passion of the little kid in the driveway, too naive to not work his butt off.

Apply that to your life. If you worked hard for anything, you know it really wasn’t about the money or who you knew that ultimately made you happy – for LeBron, money is in the millions and who he knows are his superstar teammates. In your job or in your hobby, gratification and meaning came in your hard work that led to success, not inherently in the success itself. It’s the whole “the journey is greater than the destination” cliché.

And in the NBA, LeBron’s move from Cleveland to Miami hinted he only wanted the destination: Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would take James’ stagnant game over the top, he might have thought. Maybe he believed he could win without improving, without discovering a post-up game and without doing what every little kid would dream of practicing in their backyard had they imagined themselves in a 6-foot-8, 250 pound frame.

And now that they have failure under their belt, that’s exactly why it’s a travesty should LeBron James fail with the Heat.

What do you think?

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  • Sean Sweeney

    “He probably doesn’t remember the few years where his idolization of NBA players was something real, because soon, LeBron was told to idolize himself.”

    Can’t say it any better

  • lny

    first.
    it told us that haters lives are inferior to lebron’s

  • lny

    i mean second

  • beiber newz
  • SWAT
  • da man

    Professional basketball is two things: a game and a job. How many of us get paid an exorbitant amount of money to play a game? Regardless if Lebron finishes his playing career with 0 or 7 rings, it doesn’t somehow make him a bad person. That’s the distinction here, people are letting their personal bias affect how they view him as a player.

    Does Lebron often put his foot in his mouth? Yes. However, those comments he made after game 6 didn’t bother me. It’s like when someone calls you ugly or stupid when you aren’t. You just say haha and brush it off. If Lebron’s comments hurt your feelings, then maybe what he’s saying rings true on a certain level.

    For everyone pointing out that Lebron never went to college, cut it out. All college taught me was how much alcohol I could consume before throwing up and how to creatively procrastinate.

  • SWAT

    hahah apprantly stevenson wasnt aware of his alcohol limit. have yall followed the link? the story gets better dude was wandering an apt complex he doesnt even live close too! LMAO. how the hell did he get there?

  • beiber newz

    cops nowadays like arresting celebs becuz they want to say they got that guy or this guy. f the police.

  • superfreak

    @ da man

    It definitely would of helped going college, considering he probably didn’t really “attend” high school either. LBJ says a lot of things that makes it hard for fans to like him. But maybe he doesn’t care about that, who knows.

  • kh

    Nice read!
    We learn our most important lessons from the perceived “failures” in our lives. I am looking forward to Lebrons response next year (or more importantly this off-season).

  • jdizzle

    Nice article. Bottom line is hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard

  • http://recoverthegospel.com Eddie

    That’s why even though Kobe may be hated, he is still respected. That dude’s work ethic is both legendary and well documented. When you have been to 7 NBA finals (and won 5) multiple all star games MVP awards (reg. season all-star, finals), A multi-millionaire, All NBA teams etc. The dude still comes out and says that this year was a “year of my life wasted”. That is serious. Dude is still hungry. Still not wanting to be written off. One of my favorite commercials from Kobe is the Sprite commercial back in the day where he is working out among the newspaper clippings. It is definitive of his career. It wasn’t just for show. With as much “mileage” as Kobe has on him, and for him to still be performing at the elite level he is speaks VOLUMES about his work ethic. It speaks for itself.

  • beiber newz

    kobe : age 32, 25ppg, in under 34 minutes a night. who does that at his age with all the years he’s played ?? just sick.

  • beiber newz

    i once told a celtics fan that trading kobe for ray allen AND paul pierce would be UNFAIR for the lakers. i still hold that belief.

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