The Miami Heat's Game 2 victory over the Boston Celtics might as well have been alternatively called "LeBron James' revenge." Thirty-five points, seven rebounds and an emphatic slam dunk on a rebound sent a message that he's as good as ever.
Celtics Vs. Heat: LeBron James Swats Away MVP Voting Idiocy
It’s impossible to figure out for sure if anything special was motivating LeBron on this night, other than the prospect of taking a 2-0 lead on the Celtics. Sportswriters love to speculate on these things, because we love to create narratives and try to figure out a reason for why a great player plays greater than even he usually plays. We end up with a bunch of after-the-fact explanations, often supported by a player publicly, but all of which rely on the performance actually rolling out the way it does before we can judge.
All this is to say that suggesting LeBron was especially motivated because nine sportswriters left him off their MVP ballots is relying on a stretch of logic. That said, it’s certainly possible that LeBron was extra salty about it. There’s really no explanation for those nine sportswriters, other than an agenda against either “The Decision” or the not-winning-70-games thing. (And yes, it’s an agenda, whether it comes from statheads, “fanboys” or people around the league. Remember: many scouts and personnel people feel on some level that LeBron and the Heat violated the sanctity of the league this summer. That’s going to factor into their talent evaluation skills as much as any of our biases do).
Anyway, as much as I personally loathe LeBron, it’s hard to deny that he’s one of the greatest players in the league. Tuesday night was one where I sat down and couldn’t help but admire his talent. I hope more people can do the same without thinking of whether he was trying to make a statement to nine sportswriters.
See More:
