Now that all the "Decisions" were made, the celebration has ended and the smoke has cleared, let's get down to the only thing that really matters in the NBA, getting a ring.
The Miami Heat, who in some circles are referred to as the "Super Friends" now is suddenly everyone's favorite to come out of the East and win a ring now that Bosh and LeBron have brought their talent to South Beach, but is this seriously realistic? We've seen superstars team up before to win rings but this is a completely different scenario.
The stars aren't aligning perfectly for the self-titled Team John Dillinger and there are five reasons the Heat will not only fizzle, but never win a championship ring with this team.
1. Actually, number one could also be two through five but it's one word: Lakers. Suddenly everyone is discounting the talent that the Lakers have on their PROVEN championship team. Since the beginning I've said LeBron would not win a ring as long as Kobe Bryant is still in the league, even if he had went to the Bulls. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Derik Fisher are somewhere laughing at the predictions of the Heat winning a ring instantly; and Ron Artest is just somewhere with a tin foil hat on laughing at himself in a mirror. Surprisingly the Lakers, despite winning five rings in the past 10 years, are still the underdog and ready to prove themselves again where it counts, the court.
2. The performance I saw from LeBron in the playoffs this past year showed me that he crumbles under pressure and media scrutiny. The second reason the Heat and the "King" will not win a title is the "King." With his latest questionable move of joining the Heat, LeBron has proven that he doesn't have the mental toughness to perform in crunch time. When you have the greatest player ever in the NBA questioning your move to join a team of superstars, you have to question yourself. Even Jordan agreed that Kobe Bryant was still the best player in the NBA over the self-titled "King," which I'm guessing would make LeBron the Prince???
3. Erik Spoelstra. I'm sure he's a good coach, but he's no Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers who both have signed on to come back to their teams. Spoelstra's a young coach still trying to find his niche in the league and his stint as head coach might be shorter than people expect. Pat Riley dangling Spoelstra on marionette strings from his skybox won't be enough to take this team to a title. Working with three superstar ego players has never been an easy task for any coach. Even Phil Jackson lost a couple....hundred strands of hair dealing with the egos of Kobe and Shaq but once again, Spoelstra's no Phil Jackson.
4. 1 ball, 3 egos. The big three have already taken huge pay cuts to be on this Dream Team of sorts. Sharing the ball for 82 games out of the season will eventually be a problem. We've seen the social networks and reality shows that actually show us that the characters on Any Given Sunday and The Game are real. These players have egos and pride that their not willing to compromise with. By the 60th game, someone on the team will be referred to as a gun or ball hog by another teammate and it'll be all downhill from there.
5. Dan Gilbert. Ok, this is a comical one. Or shall I say a "comic sans" one. I actually ran out of reason and this one seemed perfect to end with. Dan Gilbert and every die hard Cleveland sports fan will do everything in their power to make sure the LeBron James will NOT win a ring. Some saw Dan Gilbert letter as comical, but I saw it as a threat. Maybe Dan Gilbert and Ron Artest should be taking the same medication because both are a sandwich short of a picnic. Gilbert promised the city of Cleveland that the Cavaliers will win a title before LeBron and I honestly believe in his word. Of course the Cavaliers will never win a title but the threat made me believe if LeBron came close to a title, he would come up missing; similiar to Damon Wayans in the 1996 movie Celtic Pride. And his promise would hold true. Don't be surprised if it happens. Crazier things have happened in Cleveland history...the shot, the catch, the fumble, the drive, the decision and next....THE DISAPPEARANCE.
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