LeBron's Back

As a basketball junkie, LeBron's decision to go to Miami was a monumental one.  Discussion of it has focused on the team he choose, the way he went about it,  whether Dwyane Wade or LeBron is the alpha-dog, and how they aren't playing up to expectation.  Those are all important things, but little has been said about how the Heat have actually been for basketball aficionados.  Are they aesthetically pleasing?  Is the offense utilizing their players strengths? Will LeBron still be himself playing with someone similar?  Does Chris Bosh actually know where the paint is?  So far the answer has been no.  Until last night.

LeBron's return to Cleveland told us a lot about himself (some we already knew, some we had begun to doubt) and how he can respond in very venomous situations.  Throughout the season LeBron and the Heat were averse to all of the backlash that had been thrown at them.  The constant booing, the probing press, and most importantly very motivated opponents.  Somehow it all surprised them--when you throw a a championship-like party for becoming a team when you're not champions how can you be surprised?--and they had responded poorly.

LeBron reveled in it last night.  He wasn't like Jordan (with Jordan you almost would've expected him to wave to the crowd to boo louder), he was himself.  He was LeBron.  He was the guy who seems so removed from the world that he simply doesn't notice the criticism leveled at him by normal people.  LeBron is a guy who can shut all of the negativity off and boy did he do it last night.  His 3rd quarter detonation was a sight to behold.  Jumpshots swishing, drives ferocious and an alley-oop layup that only he could convert on.

Finally we were seeing the LeBron we had gotten used to seeing in a Cavaliers uniform.  I was relieved.  I feel for Cavs fans(my friend Ryan, a Cavs fan, was so disheartened after LeBron left that he was almost ready to wash his hands of all sports) but there was a part of me that wanted to see LeBron perform like this.  He was my favorite player to watch the last 7 years.  And yes I had genuinely like him before.  That's changed and will never be the same, but I was still excited to watch him play.  Watching him before last night was upsetting to me.  Would I never see LeBron like he was before?  Was being next to a player similar to himself the worst possible thing?  Had a potential GOAT made the worst decision by any great ever?  Last night gave me a hope that he can defiantly be like he was before.  He may regret his decision, and staying in Cleveland or going to New York or Chicago may turn out to have been the better basketball choice.  But at least I know that the real LeBron is still out there and that he can still show the world his prodigious basketball talent.