From the start of this season, LeBahhh.. Humbug James has milked the fun out of the 2015-16 Cavaliers. It’s part of his continued effort to veer in the opposite direction of the happy-go lucky James who had to swallow his own jocular promise of not 5, not 6, not 7 titles during his early years with the Miami Heat. These days, he’s preachy to the young whippersnappers on the Cavs roster about professionalism and the keys to winning that he learned in Miami. Unfortunately, he has also instilled the 82 game grind with the joylessness of six month-long SAT prep course.
We knew LeBron James was an outstanding passer from the forward position, but it’s been a revelation to watch his passive aggressiveness reach the magnitude it has this season. LeBron’s the type of guy who won’t talk about Fight Club, but he sure will wink emoji at his membership in it.
It started almost immediately during July of 2014 when his Sports Illustrated letter omitted the name of No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins among teammates he was looking forward to linking up with. It reached its apex when David Blatt was fired and replaced with Tyronn Lue, long believed to be James’ preferred choice.
During the course of this regular season, James has been subversively setting his teammates up to take the fall in case Cleveland gets left at the title altar again.
However, motivation to put his former Heat teammates on a pedestal has been contrasted by the bus he’s throwing anyone associated with the Cavs under.
LeBron was an adjunct professor in team chemistry for the first 30 years of his life. His former St. Vincent St. Mary’s teammates are now his pseudo-brothers and business partners. His old coach is his primary father figure. But as the elder statesmen of the Cavs group, his leadership style has been tentative. He’s not enjoying himself anymore by trying to be someone else.
During a recent slump, he unfollowed the Cavaliers on Instagram and claimed it was part of his annual anti-social media strategy. While it’s true he cuts off his communication with the outside world during the playoffs, James has continued posting on Instagram.
He rarely extolls the virtues of his current teammates. Meanwhile, he beams about his pipe dream of forming another constellation of superfriends with CP3, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. The only way that quartet will join forces is when they all resemble the cast of Last Vegas, but that’s all semantics.
There have been a bevy of reports detailing the alleged unhappiness of teammates with Irving’s inability to set up teammates, his chemistry with James, Love’s fit within the offense and even Lue having to discuss LeBron’s excessive fraternization with Wade during clashes with the Heat. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving’s existent defensive habits have left the franchise in a precarious position if wrestle a title from the Western Conference champion this June.
All of this turmoil has put an Eastern Conference title, which was previously manifest destiny, up for grabs as the Toronto Raptors are nipping at their heels for the East’s No. 1 seed.
The Raptors are a cohesive, team with a hive mentality and a celebrity owner in Drake, who is so close to LeBron that the Cavs franchise player would probably lobby management to tab the 6-God as the sixth man for his proposed Wade/LeBron/Anthony/CP3 mega-quartet.
Golden State operates with the perpetual precision of a quartz watch.
The Spurs military precision has kept them in contention for 20 years.
LeBron better tread carefully. Remember, the “Together” Nike ad, that debuted before his Cavaliers return? That unity is nowhere in sight these days. The Cavs, owners of the highest payroll in NBA history, have the camaraderie of private military contractors. It appeared to worsen after Anderson Varajeo’s trade and release led to him winding up in the Warriors locker room.
They Cavs will never badmouth each other within earshot of HR, but as the business hits a downturn, tensions have begun to boil. It’s only a matter of time until they spill over.
