Cory doesn’t mind admitting that sometimes the bad guys finish first. Maybe its time Lebron realize that. Or maybe, just maybe, he already has.
by cory hedgepeth
It was only a matter of time, some would say, until the Lebron Honeymoon came to an end. Its the natural cycle of fame, really. You become so beloved that you can seemingly do no wrong in the face of your critics and fans and it causes you to become more intrepid in testing your own imperium. The problem is however, its all a facade. And in some respects, its a trap. Its the power of fame baiting you.
2003 saw the coexistence of two very different careers emerge, the past few weeks saw them metaphorically collide.
In the early summer of 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers were coming off of a 17 win season. They had been the 28th ranked offensive team in the league and in contrast, they were the 24th ranked defensive team. Zydrunas Ilgauskas was their leading points per game guy. You can’t define gloom in more exacting terms than that, which is what made the draft selection of Lebron James even more meaningful than any culmination of current and potential stat sheets. His physique, his strength, his daunting speed and electrifying ability to pull down the rim after a multitude of varying air show maneuvers paled in comparison to the fact that a city recognized nationally as a hard-luck, losing sports franchise team city, was finally optimistic. In a matter of one transcendental summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers went from the worst attended team in the league to 9th most attended stadium in the league. A sheering path into a sun setting over an emblazoned widescreen horizon of Lebron James outstretched arms.
“Magic in 5, Lakers in 6….Lakers in 6 for the title”
