“The Decision” heralded a new day coming for the N.B.A. His shift to Miami was the dawn of an era during which he became a leading voice for African-American empowerment. How easy it is to forget the ways in which James changed the paradigm. Now that kind of movement is part of the N.B.A.’s lifeblood. He was tapping into a longing that is at once universal and felt at a particular, bone-deep level in Black America: the longing to break bonds, the urge for freedom of movement, the need for self-determination and control.Įven lesser players faced scorn for exercising their right to change teams.
#Lebron james eidetic memory code
Remember how he was scorned and vilified? How a single line from that pronouncement - “taking my talents to South Beach” - became a punchline, code for narcissism and disloyalty?īut James was actually coming into his own. That’s the year of “The Decision,” James’s nationally televised announcement that he was leaving Cleveland for a Miami team stocked with All-Stars. The tips, screens, fall-aways and sudden passes that cut across the court as if rocketing along on a zip-line.Ĭonsider the span of his 17 N.B.A. The blocks, dunks, spinning pirouettes and sprinting fast breaks. The genius of James, the beauty of his game and the joy he exudes playing it, has shown itself in vivid Technicolor during this playoff run. John Coltrane meets Albert Einstein meets a point guard in a power forward’s body. To watch him is to watch an athlete attuned to the flow, feel and probability of every move and every moment. He can recall plays that occurred years ago with little trouble, and he has forged a remarkable and successful business and entertainment company, not to mention a school in his hometown Akron, Ohio. James is said to possess a photographic memory. That allows the easy dismissal of the dedication he has always put into staying in shape - and the disregard of his sheer intelligence. Still too many who see him without nuance, first and foremost as a body.
There are still too many who cannot see beyond James’s physicality, his uncommon blend of size and strength and speed. “Out of 101 votes, I got 16 first-place votes,” he said, noting his anger at the absurdity of not even coming close.
vote in a landslide? James flashed a cutting bitterness when asked about the award after the first playoff game against Denver. He did it when the league returned to play amid a world torn by a pandemic and unrest.Ī case can be made that this season is a grander opus than any he has ever conducted. He did it while his team mourned the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash in January. We have never seen a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward lead the N.B.A. He bounced back from a rare, injury-plagued season to help return the Lakers to dominance. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s kinetic 25-year-old star, was no doubt worthy of the award. unveiled the winner of its Most Valuable Player Award for this pandemic-laced season. Despite all of this, there are far too many who take him and his success for granted. What athlete has ever delivered so thoroughly on such early hype?Īnd what athlete presents more of a modern-day paradox? He is among the most successful sports stars in history, on his way to billionaire status, influential, admired and connected to at least 120 million followers on social media. As a high school junior, he was cast as a basketball messiah. The burden of great expectations is not new.
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