[dalakhani]

I appreciate that the game is so natural and instinctive for Lebron that he makes the RIGHT play in passing to a wide open player (that happens to make over 15 million) in that situation. I don't think he did it because he was shrinking up or he was scared.

Wade had the hot hand from the beginning last night and they kept feeding him the ball. I think its refreshing that Lebron doesn't feel like he needs to "get his" to please a bunch of people that will criticize him no matter what he does.

I'm no Lebron fan. As a matter of fact, it makes me completely ILL to watch him and Wade whine and cry over every violation or missed call. It is a horrible example and terrible for game. I am cheering like I rarely do for Dirk and the mavs to come through like I cheered for the Bulls and the celts before them. At the same time, one can't take away from his obvious ability. He is a prototype and the NBA has not seen a player like him. Thats not saying he is the best ever, but it is saying that he can do more things better than any player I have ever seen with Magic or Mike being the only other ones in that particular conversation.

Maybe he isn't the "closer" and I respect that and recognize that he hasn't been known as one that shines in the last minutes (although I think statisically that is debatable). Does he have to be to be considered amongst the best? Was Wilt chamberlain known as a "clutch" player? How about Bill Russell? Shaq? Malone? What were MJ's numbers with the game on the line?

I realize that MJ is known as the ultimate clutch player but I remember him bricking a few jumpers with a game on the line. The rest? I honestly don't know. I think often times a player gets tagged one way or the other and it follows him around. I think that is the case with Lebron and every time he lives up to the tag, its blown up and every time he actually delivers, its minimized.

One can't argue that he brings a lot of this on himself. His people should be ashamed of themselves for how poorly he handles the soundbite.

*added* If Lebron isn't currently the best player in the world, then who is?