This year’s NBA Finals has showcased some of the finest basketball talent ever seen. The Warriors might have walked away with the trophy, multiple high accolades and impressive winner’s swag but, the league didn’t let the Cavaliers leave their stadium empty handed--that’s what second place trophies are for after all! Although the Cavs are officially second-best, LeBron James’ performance during the regular and post-season has demonstrated that even if you haven’t won, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost. James’ presence on the basketball court mirrors that of an eighteen-wheeler driving down an alley—incredible power that can barely be contained within its given space. And while Warriors’ guard Andre Iguodala won the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, LeBron’s consistency, perseverance, and athletic awesome-ness deserve to get him gilded as well.
An article was recently released by ESPN prompting professional athletes and coaches to assert whether or not they believed LeBron James to be the greatest athlete in the world. Everyone’s answer was a resounding, “duh!” Although this response is a rather ubiquitous belief across our nation, it is interesting to consider that while LeBron definitely is the best basketball player out there right now, he didn’t leave Quicken Loans Stadium with the NBA gold or the MVP title. Despite this conclusion however, LeBron has already proven himself to be a winner of the utmost caliber.
At Koa, we believe in the team first and foremost. One individual can’t gain prominence and success for their team all by him or herself—it has always been, and will always be, the power of teamwork above all else. Nonetheless, one person does maintain the ability to make a difference on an astronomical scale. It’s important as an athlete to understand that by giving tons of heart, exhibiting practiced skill and pushing through adversity you have the capacity to elicit monumental change. And this is exactly what we can observe through LeBron James’ role with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After a brief (and wildly successful) stint in Miami with the Heat, James returned to Cleveland to prove that the Cavaliers are a team that can’t, and won’t, be ignored. Almost every game ended with another incredible feat accomplished by LeBron, and all games end with a talented man successfully leading a group toward victory. The Cavs without James would obviously be a very different team, but the Cavs with James shows the world that the strong and unwavering leadership of an individual can bring prosperity to a team.
LeBron James may not have won the MVP trophy, but regardless of this, a great lesson can still be learned from James’ performance this year. One person cannot beat a team by him or herself only, however, one person can lead a team to greatness through the unification of the group and a tenacious internal drive to succeed.
