LeBron James' virtuoso run

Published On: Jun 10 2012 11:10:07 AM EDT   Updated On: Jun 10 2012 11:42:02 AM EDT
lebron-violin

LeBron James is so great.

How great is he?

He's so great he turned Dwyane Wade into Mo Williams.

That's just a bad joke, but there's truth in it. A lot of people around here wouldn't have believed that Wade would ever play such an auxiliary role on a Heat team. But Wade is now a certified -- and crucial -- wingman, along with Bosh and the Supporting Cast. 

Last night all of them came through, but James was again the maestro. He's so great he turned the Sun-Sentinel into a self-help guru. Yesterday's front page (and website) was dominated by this: 

Like LeBron James in Game 6, the will to fight lives in us all

Survive at all costs. Dig deep. Believe. Focus. And the superhuman is possible. Call it fight or flight, but don't mistake this all-consuming desire to overcome as an asset isolated to the sports world ... this resolve, to persevere despite the odds, resides in all of us, experts say. 

When did the Sun-Sentinel hire Deepak Chopra? Or is it Jack Handey? The best part is the ubiquitous "experts say" at the end. Experts also say roses are pretty.  

I get it. James' performance in Game 6 was great enough to inspire that kind of thing. It was the most dominating performance you'll ever see on or off a basketball court. Just call it "The Masterpiece." 

While Game 6 was pure virtuosity, James' entire post-season has been sublime. James has averaged over 30 points, nine rebounds, and five assists this entire playoffs. Only one other player has ever matched that in NBA history (the Big O, Oscar Robertson). 

Media guys and the hordes of silly haters are saying that sure James has been great, but it doesn't mean anything if he doesn't win the championship now. Don't listen to it. A title may be essential to his ultimate legacy, but no matter what happens next James has given us a thing of beauty in this run, something that stirs people at their core, something that won't be forgotten. His Game 6 was the best-rated basketball in cable TV history. The world is watching -- and James is giving them the show of their lives.

  • Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.