LeBron the wonder kid

LeBron James is a wonder kid. He is a wonder on the basketball court and at times he makes us wonder about his erratic perspective of the game he plays.

Remember him not wanting to shake hands after a series loss to Orlando? Well, he gave his reason but nobody bought it, except perhaps his Momma.

Recently, LeBron refuses to see panic after his superb team was trashed by Boston in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. To think his team was just lucky to escape with a victory in Game 1, yet this young superstar acts like he has every ballgame under control.

While I believe Cleveland has what it takes to win the Championship this year, I said this would depend on James asserting himself more as the leader of the team without trying to impress too much. In the last two games against the Celtics, LeBron is not being that. He does not attack the basket as he used to during the regular season and is focusing too much on making plays for his teammates.

This attitude is baffling considering the talent and power he has. I do not think his injured elbow has anything to do with this. I blame his mindset.

I believe he can make the team win just by his sheer effort. He only needs his teammates to pass the ball to him. It is still teamwork even if James alone would shoot the basket for Cleveland so long as everyone works hard to give that basketball to him. That is, I think, the perfect formula for Cleveland to clinch it all the way this season.

This would only happen if LeBron would stop forcing himself to grow too fast as a basketball player. He has to realize he remains a kid on the basketball court - a kid who would not give up the ball to anyone else, including his teammates, until he makes a shot.

The path to basketball superstardom starts with individual brilliance. To be a basketball god – like Russell, Bird, Johnson, and Jordan – this brilliance should be consistently on display until it reaches a point where the distinction between the individual and his team could no longer be made.

LeBron is rushing to get to that point. But despite what he has achieved so far (two MVP awards and scoring titles) he is still far from achieving that goal if he cannot get his team to win when it matters the most. He has to recognize that he pouring his might going to the basket is the key to Cleveland’s success and not the plays he can create for his teammates.

The time to mature in the game would eventually come, but for now – bad elbow and all – LeBron should just be acting like a selfish kid who badly wants to make that shot again and again and again.

* Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/james_clear/4200924467/