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By Jim Litke
Associated Press
Published on Thursday, Nov 19, 2009
Memo to LeBron:
With all due respect, you're taking this ''King James'' thing too far.
Being a great player and one of the best talkers in the league doesn't mean every half-baked idea that pops into your head has to come out of your mouth. If all you want is a new number, say so. If it's more adulation, then just say that. There is enough of both left to go around.
If it's only the number, send a letter to the league office by March handing back No. 23, bring your marketing people into the loop and then show up next season — wherever that turns out to be — wearing No. 6.
It's that easy.
In the meantime, save your breath. Nobody is buying that cockamamie story about you wanting to make sure that Michael Jordan's contributions to the game are ''recognized in some way — soon.''
Jordan already has one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. He also owns six NBA rings, every other line in the record book, two Olympic golds, an NCAA championship, a statue in Chicago, a bust in the hall of fame and a fortune — I could go on — but perhaps most impressive, his name is, and always will be, part of the conversation whenever and wherever basketball is played.
He's done fine without your help.
And as long as we're being brutally honest, the one thing you could do for him is to hang onto your old number. More than a few of us see it on your back and think, ''That No. 23 is incredible . . . but he's no Michael Jordan.''
If it's any consolation, neither is anyone else. Kobe Bryant tried going down that road — copying Jordan's walk, mannerisms and even his speech patterns — but it turned out to be a dead end. It took him a while to figure it out, but you can't be like Mike, either — at least not until you've got a half-dozen championships in the bag.
Being compared to him has to be more depressing still. My guess is that's what prompted this whole episode. You were in Miami the other night, with Jordan in the stands, yet all anybody talked about before the game was the announcement that Heat guard Dwyane Wade had been ''hand-picked'' by Michael to debut the 25th anniversary model of the popular Air Jordan sneaker line.
So you drop 34 points on the Heat, win the game, and come up with an homage of your own: a petition drive to get every player who wears No. 23 to give it up and retire the number league-wide. Never mind that NBA policy leaves the decision up to each team.
''I feel like no NBA player should wear 23,'' you said. ''Nobody. If I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.''
Maybe it's just coincidence the dozen other players currently wearing the number are rookies or scrubs; or that a new No. 6 jersey might be the only way to nudge you back atop Kobe on the merchandise-sold list. But the first maneuver makes you look like a bully, and the second like a pawn in some viral marketing campaign.
Then again, maybe it's just part of your preparations for what's already been dubbed ''The Summer of LeBron.'' You'll be an unrestricted free agent then, with an unfettered hand to write your own ticket in a town of your choosing. The higher-ups in Cleveland won't tell you to button it up at the moment because they won't risk aggravating you.
Apparently, you didn't hear the word ''no'' often growing up, and there's no chance you'll hear it from the assembly of yes men surrounding you now. But you're a smart kid and besides, it's never too late to exercise a little self-control.
So do the rest of us a favor: no more carrying on about how you want to honor Jordan by taking off No. 23, or how you plan to begin honoring Julius Erving by putting on No. 6. More than a few of us see that number even now and think of Bill Russell first.
That's the problem with your whole plan.
There are great players in every era, but nearly every one of them won a few titles before they began regularly holding court. You're in the headlines almost every day, but you've been to the NBA Finals exactly once. As Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy tried to explain, a little perspective in such matters goes a long way.
When Van Gundy heard about the plan to retire Jordan's number, he started making up a list. Even the shortest one would have to include Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Oscar, Dr. J, Magic and Bird.
''There were guys who could play the game before Michael. LeBron James didn't grow up watching those guys play,'' Van Gundy said.
''Pretty soon our players will be wearing 373. All the two-digit numbers will be taken.''
The great thing about being a kid is that by Tuesday night, you'd already moved on to another topic — offering to save the Browns.
''If I put all my time and commitment into it, if I dedicated myself to the game of football, I could be really good,'' you said.
No doubt.
But the next time the temptation to talk about yourself arises, remember — leave a little oxygen for the rest of us.
Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for the Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org.
Memo to LeBron:
Get the full article here.
Comments
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WADSWORTH, OH
Posted 04:18 AM, 11/19/2009
hey Jimmy 'boy'
we smell your breath all the way to Ohio...
Naples, FL
Posted 06:33 AM, 11/19/2009
His story should have been how ridiculous it is that Miami has #23 hanging from the rafters in their building. How long do you think the Cavs fans would allow that in the Q? Perhaps the Dolphins should have Jim Brown's #32 hanging in their stadium?
Posted 06:36 AM, 11/19/2009
Preach on young sir..... Preach on.
This article just said everything about LeBron that nobody has the nuts to put in print.
Great basketball player? Yes.
Huge ego and speaks before he thinks? Double yes.
Akron, OH
Posted 10:19 AM, 11/19/2009
This columnist is such a jerk. Michael, Bird and Magic, Lebron--they're are all in different eras, where the game has changed SO MUCH among those eras, there is really no way to compare these generational greats against one another. Kobe and Lebron comparable? Maybe, since they are at least playing together. Wade and Lebron, definitely. Maybe the best indicator is how well we know, and how quickly we can picture each, just by hearing a single name or nickname!
As far as championships, I don't know how quickly Michael led the Bulls to the finals, but I'm pretty sure it took him 6 or 7 years to win that first ring.
Litke is no better than the Lebron he criticizes: he's mouthing off and getting attention for something relatively meaningless.
findlay, oh
Posted 11:59 AM, 11/19/2009
Great article. I am a Cavs (and all things Cleveland fan) but Lebron runs his mouth far too often. If he leaves Cleveland without winning a title whose to blame? The owner for not spending the money? I don't think so. Lebron for stealing the stage and Mike Brown too scared to coach him? Maybe.
Akron, Oh
Posted 03:23 PM, 11/19/2009
Excellant article. James gets way too much publicity, especially here in NE Ohio. The ABJ basically puts him on the front page every day. Hopefully the players wearing the #23 will ignore the big mouth of James. Also, if #23 needs to forever retired, how about the #s 13, 33, 6, 1 just to name a few that were worn by all-time greats.
Cleveland, oh
Posted 04:16 PM, 11/20/2009
Maybe he's not in need of your "help" either. You've surely got your panties in a bunch over this. Next time, before proceeding with another pretentious monologue, maybe you could "exercise a little self-control." Apparently, you didn't receive very many in your life, but what LeBron did was a compliment - yeah, that's what one sounds like.
meadville, pa
Posted 05:36 PM, 11/20/2009
These people need to realize that Lebron grew up watching MJ, he was the b-ball GOD of the 90's and thats what LJ knows but if he wants to change his number fine just dont make a big deal about it
