LeBron’s Rise

[col. Writ. 6/22/12] © ’12 Mumia Abu-Jamal

For Miami basketball superstar, LeBron James, 2012 is his year; his time out of the wilderness; his arrival.

A formidable high school basketball phenom, his time as a professional has been one of conflict and chaos; jumping ship from the Cleveland  Cavalier’s amid boos, catcalls and cries of “Traitor!”.

When he and Chris Bosh left their respective teams, the Cavs and Toronto Raptors, for the Miami Heat, they were assailed by the sports media, for daring to decide their own destinies, for athletes are supposed to be told what to do, not make their own decisions.

And when the Heat lost the 2011 championship to the Dallas Mavericks, 2-games –to-4, the ridicule, the catcalls got even louder.

James and Bosh left their former teams after seven fruitless seasons, hungry for gold.

James, Bosh and Miami’s Dwayne Wade ( a scoring leader for the NBA as recently as 2009) formed the threesome who would take Miami back to the prom, and they played one of the most thrilling b-ball championships in modern sports history.

That’s because, despite the scoreline, the Oklahoma City Thunder played smart, tight basketball. They turned the tables on Miami enough times to give their coach a coronary, and they wanted to win.

But, ultimately there was too much Heat for the Thunder to prevail.

James, Bosh, Wade and the Heat team conspired to make it happen.

They call him ‘King James’ – ‘cause now, he is.

© ’12 maj