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SCOTT JACOBS

On November 23, 2009 Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated wrote a very intriguing column entitled “The Discount Dynasty.”

Tucked away peacefully on the backpage of SI’s College Football Preview, Ballard proposed an idea so crazy, it seemed unfeasible:  LeBron James taking the minimum, donating it to charity, and forming a super-team, showing that winning comes first.

“So you tell me what’s more valuable to LeBron James Inc. in the long run—three years of max salary (around $50 million) or the cachet that comes from a) winning title after title as the linchpin of a superteam; b) being seen as the first star athlete to say, “It’s not about the money,” then back that up; and c) generating worldwide media buzz.”

Stop.

Re-read it.  Superteam.  Not about the money.  Worldwide media buzz.

And we’re back.

That’s precisely what LeBron did!  Okay, so he didn’t take the minimum.  But he took way less money, joined forced with two other phenomenal talents in forming a superteam, and the way he went about it created worldwide media buzz (don’t underestimate the NBA’s sway across foreign lands, they’re already talking about Heat overseas exhibition games).

When I read that column way back in November I thought it was a scary proposition, but something that seemed unrealistic from the current money hungry athletes we have today.  LeBron, or any  other superstar would never put titles ahead of money in their prime.  No way.  It just doeesn’t work that way.  Like all athletes say.  It’s business.  Or as Randy Moss once famously proclaimed “straight cash homey.”

Ballard’s idea probably drew raves from sports fans at the time, who although skeptical of it actually happening, probably salivated over the idea of an athlete showing a little selflessness.  And then LeBron went through with most of Ballard’s master-plan and the end result has left him as the most villanized athlete in our sports world.

“Global icon? Champion for the ages? Consummate team player?”

That’s how Ballard opened up his piece.  LeBron would be the people’s hero.  He’d win multiple championships playing side by side with some of the NBA’s best.  He’d show how much of a team player he is.

That’s what LeBron did!

I guess the free agent charade he put on was tacky and over the top, and totally unnecessary.  It turned off a lot of people for sure.  And the ESPN Special, well that was outrageous and killed my IQ probably 30 points, but the point here is this:  LeBron did what Ballard said (he just didn’t take the minimum)

“By staying in Cleveland, James would be seen as loyal and inspirational while the Cavaliers stuffed themselves silly with big-name salaries—forget Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh, how about Wade and Bosh? But LeBron could just as easily join Dwight Howard and Vince Carter in Orlando, or Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in L.A. Something tells me any of those lineups might just have a shot at winning a title. Or five.”

Stuff themselves with big name salaries?  I thought that was the cheap way out?  I thought it was all about legacies and winning it as the big kahuna.  The top dog.  But neither you, nor I probably would have blinked an eye in that direction back in November, when the idea of a superteam seemed like something straight out of a video game.

And that’s the hypocritical nature of people’s disdain towards LeBron.  Be upset at him for leaving Cleveland.  Burn his jersey if you feel that betrayed.  I almost did the same with my Ricky Williams jersey when he retired from the Dolphins to smoke pot.  Let him know you didn’t like his show.  His three ring circus.  But don’t fault him for taking the easy way out.  He didn’t.  He took the harder way out.  He sacrificed money, direct spotlight, and popularity.  He swung at conventional wisdom with a bat and was left with giant splinters on his hand.  The easy way out was going to Chicago or staying in Cleveland, where win a title or not he couldn’t fail.

In Miami LeBron can fail horribly.  The pressure will be unlike that which we’ve seen for a team in years.  Every night the Heat will have a target on their back.  They’ve accomplished nothing except on paper.  Yet, everyone hates him and his new team.  LeBron did what most would have deemed a heroic act in the sports world.  But he went about it poorly, and now everyone is taking the easy way out in bashing him.

“And for anyone who argues that James’s legacy would be tainted because he played on a stacked team, I ask you, Whose legacy was “tainted” more: Magic Johnson’s for winning with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy or Larry Bird’s for winning with Kevin McHale and Robert Parish?”

At the end of the day, people are just upset cause he didn’t pick their team.  The Cleveland thing is a copout.  New York wanted him.  New Jersey needed him.  Chicago put up billboards for him.  And yet methinks no one would have discredited him had he landed in any one of those places.  Let’s not make this about Cleveland.  Let’s just admit our hypocrisy.  It’s okay, we’re allowed to be hypocrites.

The first step is acceptance.

Photo: Getty

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SCOTT JACOBS

The decision came last night.

The ramifications are sure to leave soundwaves throughout the reshuffled NBA for at least the next half decade.

LeBron is gone.  From title-starved Cleveland to bandwagon hopping Miami.  From dreary and Lake Eerie to sun and fun.

Dan Gilbert is fuming.  Mickey Arison is flying.

The Tri-nasty (the three attempting to form a dynasty) has been formed.  Wade.  Bosh.  LeBron.  All on one team.  It still doesn’t seem real.  It still feels too much like a video game.

I have lived in South Florida for the better part of 20 years and grew up a huge Heat fan.  I’ve seen the heartbreak to New York.  The failed signings of Eddie Jones and Brian Grant.  The exodus of Alonzo Mourning to New Jersey and his triumphant return.  D-Wade’s rookie year.  I’ve watched the water gun party they threw for Shaq’s arrival.  And the parade D-Wade eventually brought to South Florida. I was front and center for the parade. 

I was at a charity event the November after they won their title and I interviewed Wade, Shaq, Mourning, and more.  So before anyone calls me a bandwagon fan, I state this with purpose:  I’ve been there all along.

That said, this experiment is exciting and still hard to believe.  Three stars in their prime.  Three players who were the respective faces of their respective franchises, all joining forces for less than the max so that they could win a championship.  Err… championships.  Bling, bling, the NBA’s greatest psychology experiment is coming to South Florida.

Coming to an NBA arena near you.

The development is so shocking that I still didn’t believe it till I watched LeBron’s stupid, obnoxious 1 hour special.  But I’ll give LeBron credit for this: positive or not, he created a spectacle out of his announcement, something so big that just like I said yesterday, everyone would be talking about it today.  It may have been over the top or even “narcissistic” as a certain Cavs owner (cough, cough, Gilbert) proclaimed, but it got our attention.  So yeah, it’s clear LeBron is an attention whore.  And it’s true the Heat now have a collection of egos so big they may have to expand Florida further into Georgia just to fit them.  But this will work.  As long as everyone stays healthy.

I’ve wrestled over this for weeks now, ever since Stephen A. Smith brought the possibility to light.  It can.  And it will.  As long as no one gets the injury bug.

This team will be deeper than anyone believes.  Mike Miller is already about to jump aboard, giving the team a dynamic three point shooting threat.  Mario Chalmers should be a great backup point guard.  Chalmers you may recall forever won Kansas’ hearts when he knocked down that incredible three in the national title game against Memphis.  He thrives on pressure.  He just happened to be on an undermanned team the last few years.  No longer.  This team is stacked.

The Heat becomes the Yankees all of a sudden. Hated or beloved.  No middle ground.  I’ve never rooted for a dynasty.  I don’t hop bandwagons.  I pick teams and I stick with them.  This is going to be an adjustment.  Fans hopped aboard when Shaq arrived in town, but I was torn whether sending young guns Lamar Oden, and Caron Butler was the right move.  I was that guy.  So there’s a weird feeling, rooting for a team that will bring back no more than two or three pieces from their roster of the year before.  This type of a franchise makeover doesn’t happen in sports.  Out of 15 roster spots only Wade and Chalmers will likely be back (with Earl Barron maybe in the mix).

That’s crazy.  So this isn’t the Heat that we’ve been watching the last few years.  This is the Tri-nasty.  Sizzle.  South Beach.  An offseason of success unlike anything the sport or sports for that matter, has ever seen.

Who gets the last shot?  Who cares.  Did Kobe ever complain that Derek Fisher crushed the Spurs hearts with 0.4 seconds left?  Did Tim Duncan ever shove Robert Horry into a corner for making the big shots he did?  This is ridiculous.  These guys are coming together on their own doing.  This is their choice.  Not something Pat Riley traded for.  These guys had to want this for it to happen.  They had to fully believe in this, for it to happen.  Last night it did.  And this non-sense about being on the road for a period of time and maybe struggling?  That’s bull.  This team may have two alpha males, but they also have three leaders, which means they will all keep each other in check.

Is it Wade’s team?  Yeah.  Is he willing to share?  Duh!

The legacy stuff is intriguing.  By over-bloating his already huge ego by making a national special of his decision, LeBron contradicted it by then taking less money to go win a bunch of championships.  Front-runner?  How so?  Doesn’t that make any great player who goes elsewhere to team with another good player a front runner?  I just think that’s a ridiculous statement.  You grow up as kids with the dreams of winning it all.  Most kids don’t dream of making millions of dollars when they’re 5 years old.  They dream of the last shot, the confetti falling from the sky.  This is that.  And o yeah, everyone gets to be filthy rich ’sacrificing.’

How about a new legacy?  How about taking three egos, checking them at the door, and forming a three-headed monster that will immediately put a shiver into the NBA world.  How about having the guts to try this? How about the concept of three best friends playing together?  You can look at it however you like, but when I was young and playing hoops in my backyard I always wanted to play with my friends, whether they were better than me or not.  Why?  Because it was fun.  At the end of the day is LeBron not entitled to have fun?

Is he really deserting Cleveland?  Maybe.  The city isn’t exactly a magnet for top tier free agents, and they haven’t won a title in nearly 4 decades in any of the major sports.  But that is not LeBron’s fault.  He led them on you could argue.  But he did not demand a trade, refuse to play, or retire to go smoke pot elsewhere.  He apparently set up smoke screens and set up false hope, and he allowed this hoopla to spin out of control 2 years ago when the topic first started to really come up.  But he didn’t kill anyone.  He left.  He wanted to win a championship, and simply put he just didn’t think Cleveland had the goods.  He tried to get Bosh to the Cavs, but that failed.  Ultimately LeBron decided that the level of talent needed to win a title in Cleveland was not going to arrive.  He didn’t want to be 31 and ring-less.

So, yeah, I get it Cleveland.  Your home boy left.  Because of the NBA’s weird cap rules you can’t go after anyone this offseason to fill the cap space he just vacated.  So that sucks.  And Cleveland will probably suck this year too.  Ironically they changed their gold to a more yellowish color and their jersey font will be simplified.  Just like the attention around their franchise after the dust settles.

Which opens the door for a big name in the future to come to Cleveland and be the hero.  You may laugh now, but I think a big time player will roll the dice with Gilbert sooner than later, because the chance to be beloved by a desperate city is tough to pass up.  So Cleveland fans, all hope is not lost.  You won’t win a title before the Tri-nasty, but within 5 years you will have a formidable bunch.  That’s just my hunch.

Will this be good for the league?  I mulled this one over for a while.  Yes!  An emphatic yes.  First off, the league as a whole became much more balanced this off-season.  The Bulls are better, the Knicks are a little better, obviously the Heat have dramatically improved.  The Hawks stayed intact.  The Warriors added David Lee.  The Bucks re-signed John Salmons and acquired Corey Maggette.  The NBA will be loaded next year.  The balance in each conference should be fantastic to watch.  Sounds hard to believe, but I think that the balance of power simply shifted to more parity in the league.  More teams improved, which means more teams in the top heavy sport have a shot to win, and win now.  Even Oklahoma City re-upped Kevin Durant through a tweet.

Interest in the league will be as high as it’s been in years.  The Miami Tri-nasty will bring unprecedented Yankees like hatred towards the team, which will only fuel other teams to bring their best every night.  Not just against the Heat but against everyone.  If you want to make it in the new NBA you have to truly prove yourself now.  The trifecta will attract casual fans to tune in, rivalries will still remain alive and well.  It’s a fun mix of young teams, proven teams, and titans.  As far as I’m concerned, let the games begin.

What’s unfortunate and a storyline to keep an eye on is the impending lockout looming over the league after what should be a raucously exciting regular season.  With all the hype and intrigue to come, it would be devastating for the league to have a lockout, killing all the buzz it’s created.

But that’s for next year.  For this year, the Heat is on.  It should be one hell of a race.

Graphic: Scott Jacobs

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SCOTT JACOBS

Admit it.  You’re curious.

You love this and you hate this.  You’re dumbfounded how something so selfish can be so compelling.  You can’t get enough.  The hype is your crack.  The more you read the more you’re addicted.  It dominates your psyche.  It has a stranglehold on your Twitter.

You despise the circus that LeBron has created.  Yet you can’t look away.

You try to compare it to something else, but there is nothing else.  There is no precedent.

There’s been twists and turns at every stop.

Everyone has an opinion.  Grown men are on the edge of their seats.  Little boys drunk with anticipation.  The President of the United States will probably tune in.

To watch LeBron James finally make his decision.  To see a multi-millionaire get richer and crush the hearts of the other cities that did everything they could to woo him.

It’s fascinating theater.  A bevy of questions from coast to coast.  You’re afraid of overdosing.

Tonight it ends.

Or maybe, tonight’s just the beginning.

In his handpicked location with a handpicked network providing handpicked sports writers to interview him, Mr. James will make his decision.  It’s crazy really.  He’s damned no matter what he does.  He’s the tease that finally has to make a decision.

He can stick with his loyal best friend, the girl that’s always been there for him, and finally declare his love.  He can head to New York for the most popular girl in school, who has the most connections.  He can go to Miami where he’ll compete for the prettiest, but he won’t be alone.  Or he can flock to Chicago where a legend precedes him.

Ah, The Decision.

Most people seem hooked to the idea that he has to go back to Cleveland.  He needs to tell the girl that’s been by his side all these years that he does love her, and he’s in it for the long haul.  Breaking her heart would devastate her and affect the rest of her life.  What could have been she’ll say.  What could have been.

You don’t want to watch it, but you probably will.

It’s drama, a chick-flick (the love affair), comedy (fans adulation over this whole process, myself included), adventure (we have no idea whats in the works) and action (finally a decision).

It’s the summer’s biggest blockbuster.

Tonight is the premiere.  The one time screening.

Some critics will love it.  Others will deplore it.

But tomorrow, everyone will be talking about it.

Photo: Reuters

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SCOTT JACOBS

From the people who brought you The Bachelorette, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol comes a special so big, it literally may stop the world.  Look out Truman Show, The LeBron show is coming to a city near you.  Live on the Worldwide Leader of O No they Didn’t Programming.

But yes they did.  And yes they can.  And yes they will.  ESPN has won the rights to broadcast a 1 hour special of the most mind blowingly over-hyped free agency decision since Moses managed to part the Red Sea. Yes, on Thursday July 8th (cue dramatic music, dim the lights), ESPN will bring you a show unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.  One man.  Basketball player by day.  Superhero by night. He has replaced Chuck Norris and that guy from the Dos Equis commercial as the most interesting annoying man in the world. He put the city of Akron on the map and high school basketball on national TV.  He co-authored a poorly written book with Buzz Bissinger, and has yet to win an NBA championship.  In one day he has more Twitter followers than you will ever have in your life.  Introducing number 23, errr… excuse me, introducing number 6 LeBron “I want to be a billionaire so freaking bad” James!

It will be drama unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Will he choose Cleveland?  Chicago?  Miami?  New Jersey?  New York?  Guadalajara, Mexico?  The Clippers?  The answer will be revealed.

How will he do it?  Will he don a hat with that team’s colors, prompting an exclusive NBA Free agency hat collection to further broaden his image?  Or will he put on that team’s jersey?  Will their be a patch to commemorate this historic moment? Will the announcement also be on Youtube, and shortly re-aired on ESPN Classic?  You can only find out if you tune in.

While other players get a press conference, we’re giving LeBron the whole world.  Wars will stop.  Babies will stay tucked in the womb.  Drive by shootings will cease for one hour.  The cure for cancer will be found.  We’re talking bigger than Titantic and World War II combined.  Israel and Palestine will rest peacefully as the King makes up his mind.  People will get out of their cars in the middle of the street to wait for the siren on which town was picked. All babies that were supposed to be born within the 1 hour exclusive special will be named Le-whatever.  It will truly be a day unlike anything man kind has ever witnessed.

The planets will stop orbiting.  Global warming (if you believe in that kind of stuff) will stop happening.  Tim Burton will cast a movie without (gasp) Johnny Depp.

The President will stop whatever he is doing to gather everyone in the Oval Office to watch his announcement.

David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Jon Stewart will be subsituted with the press and given 30 minutes to ask any ridiculous questions they want.  It will be must see Le-TV.

ESPN, like Dade County will change their name, only their’s won’t be Wade County.  It will be LESPN.

All website chatter will freeze, wth the planet’s communication lines stopped until mighty Le-Savior makes his mind.

So tune in on Thursday when one rich, spoiled, obnoxiously over-publicized soon to be billionaire gets richer and destroys the hopes and dreams of 5 other cities in the process.

Who will he choose?  The phone lines are open now.

Photo: AP

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SCOTT JACOBS

Well, we’re officially one day into free agency, and I kind of havta admit– I feel ripped off.

Besides watching a bunch of teams throw comedic dollar amounts at complementary players there is a growing feeling within me that this infamous Summer of 2010 that has enveloped our sports world, may be nothing more than smoke and mirrors.  And a change of scenery for a pair of forwards.

As the hours go by I can’t help but feel convinced that LeBron James is going back to Cleveland.  D-Wade looks like a pretty comfortable bet to re-up in Miami.  And Chris Bosh could end up with a team none of us have even had on our radar.  Or maybe not.

But with Joe Johnson being offered a maximum deal, prompting one Yahoo sports writer to immediately pen it down as the worst NBA contract ever (dude, the guy hasn’t even officially signed it, ease up holmes), and looking primed to return to the Hawks, the pieces are falling in place for a whole lot of nothin’ to happen.  Sure, this summer hinges on what LeBron, Wade, and Bosh do, but the reality is, these second tier guys are the ones that may ultimately hold the most water.

If Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer for instance, re-up with their teams (not likely) or go to a team like the Knicks or Nets, it’s possible they could further encourage the NBA’s super 3 to just… well, stay put.  Okay, not Bosh, but you get the point.  Going through the free agency supermarket, GM’s like NY’s Donnie Walsh and others are looking for second tier players to couple with the big ‘pie in the sky’ star.

That seemed to be New York’s intention.  Lure Joe Johnson to the Big Apple and maybe Amare and then LeBron will come.  O s*%$!  You mean he’s going back to the Hawks?  Crap.

The lower-tier guys/complementary guys are lining their pockets flush with cash as the NBA’s biggest free pieces continue to roam.  But I’ve put a lot of thought into this the last few days.  Read a lot of articles.  And I’ve been left with the impression that LeBron would be an idiot if he (wait for it, wait for it) left Cleveland.

Yes!  You’ve read that correct.  Forget the Knicks, Heat, or Bulls, James is best suited to stay in Cleveland and bring home a championship to his home state.  It really is the Jordan effect, and this has nothing to do with Chicago.  LeBron will forever be knocked for an inability to win a ring for the Cavs if he bolts for greener grass in another free agent city.

Forget the scenarios for a second.  Forget the super-pairing he could form in Miami, or the nice duo he could make in Chi-town.  LeBron’s legacy should be going for it in Cleveland.  Win, lose, or fail.  It’s no longer about the parts he has to work with or the new coach or any of that.  It’s about finishing what he started.  Truth be told, LeBron’s legacy will never be greater than if he wins the title starved city of Cleveland a championship.  That would be bigger than him winning a ring as a Knick.  Or a Nyet.  Why?

Because ultimately, people are sick of New York teams.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, New York teams that win are good for any sport and commissioner’s psyche, but you know what?  If LeBron James is so big that all our major sports writers are following him and his posse from city to city, and his house to strange hotels, just to see who he’s meeting with now, than clearly it doesn’t matter who he plays for.

Ahh, I said it.

The Cavs are irrelevant without LeBron.  With him, they’re Lakers East.  They don’t go out to the beach and date supermodels, but they get the job done.  They don’t have Jack, they have average Joe.

You see it hit me today.  LeBron doesn’t need a big city to make him immortal in the eyes of the sports world.  He needs to finish what he started.  He needs to deliver a title to a city that no longer knows what it feels like to celebrate one.  He needs to show that loyalty is not dead.  LeBron can become a billionaire in Cleveland or New York.  Just look at your TV.  Vitamin Water, Nike, the list goes on.  What’s New York going to do?  Will TMZ get into the act?  A couple witty New York post headlines?  C’mon!

LeBron’s legacy is whatever he makes it.  And if he wins titles in Cleveland as ‘the man’ with what many would consider a lottery bound team without him, than boom, there’s your legacy.

Boston-Los Angeles makes for nostalgic conversation and the usual East versus West mumbojumbo, but if the Cavs and Lakers had played in the Finals it would have been a ratings bonanza bigger than Shaq’s head.  So cut the crap with the whole, LeBron’s legacy thing.

And here’s another thing, and this one has really bugged me lately.  Guys wanting to win, but not willing to actually sacrifice to do so.  Example: Joe Johnson, who will most likely re-up with the Hawks, keep them just decent enough to be relevent, but hampered by his absurd contract that they can’t make any upgrades because they don’t have cap space.

Guys are full of crap when they say they want to win.  Prove to me you want to win.  D-Wade could sign for $10 million a season, leaving the Heat tons of cap space to play with, but he wants the max.  He deserves it.  But he could easily contribute to Miami’s chances by taking one for the team.  Then Miami could sign guys like Haslem or Dorell Wright to contracts without worrying if it cuts into their monopoly money.

Just imagine for a second if a guy like Chris Bosh wanted to win so badly, that he took $10 million a season in a sign and a trade so that a team like Heat could also afford to give him a bench too.

But it’s a giant ego-stroke for these guys, who want to win, but want to get their’s.  Must be tough making only 16 million a year.  O the horror.  Because with only $10 million a year and let’s say $20 million in endorsements you can’t really buy any nice toys.  Ha, what a joke.

My rant leaves you with one final thing to ponder: are NBA teams just stupid or ignorant?  Max dollars for Rudy Gay?  $30 million for Channing Frye?  Darko is still in the league, and getting paid $20 million?  How!  Just because you have money doesn’t mean you have to set it on fire, as these soon to be overpaid players roll around in the mud not sure what to do with the cash that just fell out of their backside.  Drew Gooden?  He hasn’t been relevent since … um, I’ll get back to you on that one.

Photo: AP

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SCOTT JACOBS

After scouring the globe for your opinion, it seems pretty clear.  Come the start of the 2010-2011 season, LeBron James will not be playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  That according to you.

With 57.5% of the vote it seems like you’re convinced.  From Poland to Hawaii all the way to Canada, if you can see the future, Cleveland’s going to be a very morbid place in November.  Not that it isn’t anyways (just kidding).

We got 113 votes in our poll which asked if LeBron would be a Cav next year.  You offered up a pretty emphatic no.  That means that Miami, New Jersey, New York, Chicago, or even the Clippers could have a shot at the ringless star, who claims that priority numero uno is winning championships.

And with Tom Izzo saying no yesterday to Cleveland’s head coaching gig as I wrote that he should, it’s possible the Cavs will not only lose King James, but fail to replace the jettisoned Mike Brown with someone better.

The most important offseason in Cavaliers history hasn’t exactly gotten off to a smooth start. After a stunning 6 game dismissal at the hands of the Celtics, Cleveland fired Mike Brown. GM Danny Ferry who has done a pretty solid job of surrounding LeBron with quality players resigned on June 4th.  All the rallys and signs in the world can’t help you Cleveland, if you can’t even help yourself.

And if LeBron bolts?  Well, that could be the kiss of death to a city longing for sports glory.

So yeah, no pressure Cleveland.  No pressure at all.

Thanks again to everyone who voted.

Photo: Reuters

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SCOTT JACOBS

LeBron James walked off the court fistpounding fans, totally calm, as he made his way towards the T.D. Garden tunnel.  If you didn’t watch the game that quick glimpse would have most likely led you to believe that the Cavs had tied the series, and there would be a game seven in Cleveland.  ABC could breathe a sigh of relief.  The NBA offices in New York could sip champagne by moonlight, their dream BronBron/Kobe matchup still very much alive.

But the score indicated otherwise.  With the Celtics fans in pure delirium after their team pulled off one of the more surprising series wins in recent memory, their was no day after tomorrow.  Not for a Cavs team that reeled off 61 wins in the regular season en route to another number one seed.  Not for LeBron whose two MVP seasons finished in two bitter disappointments.

Maybe LeBron was hurt.  Maybe the Cavs were not who we thought they were.  Maybe Cleveland’s cursed.

Or maybe the Celtics were just… better?

From the opening tip of game one to a rousing win in game six, the Celtics controlled a series they were plain and simply not supposed to win.  This was Cleveland’s year.  This was the team LeBron was going to get his first ring with.  But Boston was more polished.  Their passing was crisper.  They had Rajon Rondo.  They had the look of a champion.  They had the heart of a unit that had done this before.

Cleveland looked lost.  And in a confusing series which saw both teams hand each other their worst home playoff losses in each team’s respective playoff history, this offseason for the Cavs will offer up way more questions than answers. 

48 days until the start of free agency, and let the LeBron watch begin.

Boston couldn’t be happier.  Rock City U.S.A. is doing anything but.

Something about this series felt off.  LeBron’s injury.  His baffling game five effort.  The Cavs strategy down the stretch of game six to not foul, when they were still within spitting distance.  LeBron looking unfazed as the game ended.

It may be too soon, but someone has to say it.  Amare Stoudemire is still playing.  King James is done.  The Cavs could have had Amare, heck, Phoenix just wanted cap relief and a young player, but the Cavs kept their roster together, opting for chemistry over potential.

How’d that work out for them?

So we’re left with a Cleveland team littered with role players, a few good players, and maybe LeBron.  Uh, now what Cleveland?

The Celtics were better.  Faster.  More dynamic.  And in a sloppy game six, they got all the 50-50 balls and collected all the second chance rebounds.  They weren’t just better.  They wanted it more.

That’s the hardest fact to swallow.  Cleveland got flat out, out-played.  Outworked.  Outhustled.  Ousted once again before the NBA Finals.

You just don’t expect that from a LeBron James led team.  Which leads to the question: Is LeBron James the NBA’s version of Peyton Manning?  Someone who couldn’t get over the hump, despite all the personal accolades that came his way, and in spite of the fact that it was clear he should be collecting some rings.  It’s a fair argument to make.  Sometimes great players just can’t get to the promised land until they get the right team around them.  Other times they have to grow into the role.  Manning won his Super Bowl with a Colts team that barely made the playoffs.  They turned it on once the post-season began behind a well rounded collection of veterans and youngsters.

Maybe Cleveland doesn’t have the right mix to win it all yet.  Maybe LeBron James just isn’t ready yet?  It sounds crazy.  But then again, so was this series.

LeBron James may have played his last game in a Cavs uniform today.  Or maybe not.

Poor Cleveland.  The clueless citizens of that sports-crazy city probably don’t know what just hit them.

Reality.

Photo: Reuters

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NEIL DOUGH

If there is ever a fight, or a tussle, even an argument in an NBA game, I still look for Jeff Van Gundy’s bald head to be sliding on the court holding onto Mourning’s leg. That is an image that’ll be stuck in my head for a long time, as will the quote from Stan the former “Master of Panic” Van Gundy about the BCS.

Has anyone ever summed up the stupidity of that situation so eloquently? These two brothers of basketball have me excited for a Lebron James-less finals, and I didn’t think that was possible. Jeff Van Gundy is the best color commentator sitting on an NBA sideline today.

If the Charlotte Bobcats were playing the Spurs (the most boring team of all time) for the title, I would still watch every minute if I knew Van Gundy was gonna be yelling into a mic. Watching the Nuggets get a Nancy Botwin style spanking from L.A., I can’t even tell you the number of times he had me cracking up. He has his own cult following, and certainly doesn’t need me kissing his you know what, but I have to get my opinions out there.

I do not want to hear boring statistics the whole game (Doug Collins). I don’t want to listen to whiny criticism (Bill Walton). If the game isn’t a nail-biter, then give me funny, funny, and more funny. Jeff Van Gundy alongside Mark Jackson provide non-stop ear action. Not to mention, when they aren’t being hilarious, the incredible insight that comes along with 30 plus years of combined NBA experience.

I can’t wait to watch and listen to Jeff calling the game while his brother is coaching.

Speaking of his brother…Stan Van Gundy, or as I like to call him “The quote-a-minute man”, has slowly but surely made a name for himself amongst the elite NBA coaches. I can’t remember seeing a better job of coaching than what I saw against the Cavs. He had his team ready to play (or come back) every night. He had the perfect game plan every night, and he actually talks to his team during time outs. (Mike Brown—you getting all this?).

How can you not root for this guy? After being called out by the Diesel, he coached his team back to beat the Celtics, and did the impossible by beating the Cleveland King James’. His antics on the sidelines during the game, and during the time outs are sometimes more entertaining than the game itself.

You can bet all the money you won by picking the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup (is that thing over yet?) that he will have his Magic ready to play against Kobe and the Lakers.

Game one is tomorrow night. I’m ready, the Van Gundi is ready (are ready? not sure), the question is…are you ready? I’m just kidding. I’m really not that corny. Thanks for reading.

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SCOTT JACOBS

They asked if Dwight Howard could stop joking around for just a few months, and finally get serious. They wondered if Stan Van Gundy, “the Master of Panic” was a good enough coach to take his team beyond the conference finals and into the championship.  They figured it was inevitable that the NBA was going to get their dream final of LeCleveland and the Black Mamba.

They were wrong.

Five years ago the Magic were the worst team in the sport.  Tonight, they’re kings of the Eastern Conference, sending The King home, and leaving Cavalier fans doomed to the thought of another post-season closer to his impending free agency.

There’s no question that Dwight Howard is a sensational talent, but tonight (and this series in general) he finally put everything together, going from great player to arguably elite.  Howard brought his cape tonight, and he looked like the Man of Steel.  Superman scored 40 points and 14 rebounds and completed his ascent from Defensive Player of the Year to Simply Unstoppable!

Van Gundy and Orlando finally came to their senses, and realized that Cleveland was powerless (and kryptonite-less) against Howard, feeding him the ball like a fat kid going after cake, and Howard delivered, out-muscling, out-hustling, and out-hustling Cleveland’s interior to the tune of anything he wanted.  When the Cavs doubled him, Howard found the open three point shooter.  When Cleveland let him go one on one, Howard destroyed Cleveland’s bigs.

And he made his foul shots too going 12-16.

Welcome to the show Howard.  His 14-21 shooting was just a tip of the iceberg for the Magic, and an Orlando team that looked like a nice story going into the post-season following a 59 win season, is all of a sudden four wins from their first NBA Championship.

Without All Star Jameer Nelson, the Magic were still able to shed their soft image, and bring the defensive toughness they needed to really make a move in the East.  Yes, they caught arguably the biggest break of the post-season with the Celtics playing KG-less, but no one can ignore the Magic now.   They’re for real, they earned this, and this team is no fluke.

They’re not a gimmicky team any more that lives on the perimeter.  Now they’re a mentally tough team that goes inside first, and burns you on the outside with their lethal three-point shooting.

Mickael Pietrus had another terrific game, nailing three more triples, and finishing with 14 points.  What a find he’s been for Orlando.

But it was a team effort for the Magic.  Whether it was Howard camping out in the paint and mutilating the Cavs inside or one of Orlando’s many slashers taking it to the basket and creating mismatches all over the court, the Magic exposed Cleveland, and sent the Cavs home.

We were all witnesses this series to the maturation of Dwight Howard.  Yes, he picked up some bad fouls in tough spots, but big men tend to do that.  What Howard did this series was seize the moment, use his size and power to overwhelm the Cavs while lifting the Magic (a perceived good team) into the NBA Finals.

I have to admit: I didn’t think Howard was an elite player going into this series.  Too many times in the past he had settled for bad shots, or wasn’t aggressive enough.  But that all changed after game five of the conference semifinals, when he called out Stan Van Gundy, demanding the ball in crunch-time.  Since then, he’s been a force (including the show he put on in overtime in game four), and the Magic, not surprisingly have gone 6-2.

“We’re not satisfied,” said an elated, but focused Howard on the podium after the win (and who can blame him either?  This team believes).

Whatever happens in the Finals, the NBA can’t be disappointed about this matchup.  Yes, BronBron versus Kobe would have been amazing star power, but Orlando is no slouch.  Not any more.  Not with a superstar of their own in Howard, and a supporting cast that just might be good enough to get him an NBA title.  Not with a “team” that plays together, shares the ball, and plays hard every night.  The Magic don’t have any prima donnas and when Howard stays out of foul trouble, and when the Magic are hitting their threes they are a tough out.  Beating the Lakers, who have a lot more talent than Cleveland will be a tough challenge but it won’t be impossible.

Will they do it?  I’m not ready to predict that just yet.  But these NBA Finals should be great.  No, wait, make that amazing.

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