Dear LeBron

This appears in the Monday June 20, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

Dear LeBron

by rick olivares

Dear LeBron:

I'm writing this not to take a shot. That might sound funny from a Chicago Bulls fan but I am not encumbered by the regional or city rivalries that most Americans have for one another. Maybe Filipinos were brought up differently. Or maybe I reserve my vitriol for collegiate rivals.

I even bought your rookie jersey when you were in Cleveland and somewhat rooted for your team to win particularly against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals of a few years ago. I even waited in line to get your autograph at the NBA Store in New York. However, I am one of the many who were irked by The Decision. I even took shots in my writings, twitter, and my blog.

The time for that is done. Maybe it’s because I’m now looking at how the New York Yankees fare, a team we both commonly root for. Maybe it’s because here in the Philippines, the college basketball season is about to start. Maybe it’s also because I am dealing with some unhappy circumstances at the place where I work. Maybe it’s because I want you to learn something from this.

I know you like throwback jerseys and so do I. The last throwback I bought was a Kevin McHale Boston Celtics jersey and a Julius Erving Philadelphia 76ers one (more on the Doc in a bit).

Regarding throwbacks and their historical vein, remember when the game was all about real competition? When teams wanted to go into another building and stomp the home squad good? 

In the pre-internet and twitter age, the one basketball squad that every team wanted to beat (following the NBA-ABA merger) was the Philadelphia 76ers. Not only did they have two alpha dogs in Julius Erving and George McGinnis but they also had Darryl Dawkins, Doug Collins, World B. Free, and Mike Dunleavy among others. They were stacked. They were a traveling circus in high tops. They were like rock stars and they dared teams to beat them.

They were not hated, mind you, for Doc was an urban legend. Hardly anyone saw him play but his exploits spread by word of mouth and grew with every retelling. In the last year of the ABA, he took off from the free throw line and dunked the ball. No one had done that before.

They were the running and dunking Philadelphia 76ers and foes circled dates with the visiting Sixers in red. In the pre-season, they were already anointed NBA champs with their stacked and loaded line-up.

So imagine when 52-32 Sixers met the Dirk Nowitzki of that day – Bill Walton and the Portland Trailblazers who won one less match than Philly.

The Trailblazers lost the first two games before launching -- at that time -- arguably the greatest NBA comeback to win in six (McGinnis missed a game tying layup at the buzzer in the final match that gave the game and series to Portland).

In the aftermath of the loss and succeeding Finals meltdowns, the Sixers would eventually dismantle the two-top dog team in favor of a more team-oriented squad. By 1983, Doc wasn’t the star he once was and Moses Malone, named MVP that season, and was a huge reason why the title went to the Sixers.

Even then, the lesson was, “no shortcuts.” Teams would rather build their squads to beat another rather than conspire to become all-star squads.

Remember when the Chicago Bulls ruled the NBA? You, just like me, rooted for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Teams loaded up to beat the Bulls not to join them.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, in the last years of the Brad Daugherty-era, signed “Jordan-stopper” Gerald Wilkins. Wilkins didn’t go to Chicago. He went to another in order to beat the Bulls. The Indiana Pacers patiently built a contender to challenge Michael Jordan’s team. They had Reggie Miller, their one star, surrounded by veteran players like Rik Smits, Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, and the Davis boys Dale and Antonio. The Knicks, kept at it until they were able to break through in 1994 (but Jordan was flailing away at curve balls that year).

But even the Bulls had to go through something similar. When Jordan came up from college, he wowed crowds but not his NBA peers. Remember the infamous All-Star freeze? And every one thought he was just an athletic marvel who could do a lot but not win the big one. It wasn’t until he began to defer more to Phil Jackson and accept the triangle offense did he win.

Even in Game 5 of 1991 while holding a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers, Jackson called time and in a famous exchange that did much for the team for years to come, Big Chief Triangle asked MJ: “Michael, who is open?” No answer. “Who is ****ing open?”

“Paxson,” mumbled Jordan.

“Then get him the ****ing ball!”

Johnny Jumpshot nailed five consecutive jumpers including one over an onrushing Vlade Divac to give Chicago the win and its first of six NBA titles.

In a video that showed Jordan talking to his son Marcus on the phone, he asked who hit the last shot. Then Jordan smiled and confirmed the answer, “John Paxson. Let me go talk to mom.”

Jordan learned plenty of lessons in humility. The freeze out. The yearly ousters by the Celtics and the Pistons. The baseball adventure. Sadly though, he committed the same mistakes when he ran the Washington Wizards. I'm sure you've heard of the saying, "Those who forget the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them."

There's more. At the height of the Boston Celtics’ heydey in the 1980s, the Detroit Pistons replaced Adrian Dantley with Mark Aguirre to help them get past Larry Bird and company. They too learned from a team concept and building a title contender over the years.

I am one of the many who disliked how this Miami Heat team was put together. I won't rehash things. That’s done with and I know you may or may not have heard reasons why people think it was wrong.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, they have a saying where admitting that one has a drinking problem is the first step to recovery. Understand, that this was a season unlike anything previously seen in pro sports. It might have been good for ratings but how so for your team and for yourself? Just admit that some mistakes were made, don't commit them again, and more importantly, learn from them. It's not easy but it's a start.

Life does go on, as you said post-series, yet the days leading up to the next season are every bit as important. The team, the coaching staff, and management will have to take a long hard look at what happened and what all can do to get back on track. This is a beating that goes beyond the basketball court but into the organization’s collective psyche.

Will the management break up the Big Three or keep at it? Who from the bench will be re-signed and who will be added? Will Pat Riley take over the coaching chores from Erik Spoelstra? So many questions that will only be answered when the next season ends.

Despite all that happened, there’s a general feeling that you will eventually win an NBA title. You’re far too talented not to win one.

I’m done hating the Heat. I’m just hoping that this summer, everyone involved makes better decisions. And maybe, just maybe, everyone in the Miami organization should watch that Dwyane Wade commercial about falling down seven times and getting up eight times.

After all, you did predict eight titles.

Rick

* Photo by Joe Murphy