It’s perfect, really. LeBron and Wade squaring for Miami’s sovereignty. But before we get to that, there’s another piece of news that might just set the Dime one-on-one world on fire. Another upset.
That’s right: Dirk Nowitzki snuck past Carmelo Anthony with an 11-9 victory. In the 4th quarter final matchup, Kobe Bryant smacked Derrick Rose, reeling off 11 straight points after going down 2-0. So check back at 1:00 P.M. EST for the Dirk/Kobe face-off.
Anyway, back to the showdown in South Beach.
Dwyane Wade’s timing sucks. Either that or he needs to get new friends. Trust me, I understand the impetus to play ball with your guys. We do it every week here at the office. But I’m not defining my legacy. I may take excess pleasure from hardwood victories, but no one will be recounting my on-the-court journey in 20 years. (That was a lot harder to admit out loud than I thought.) Someone will be telling Dwyane Wade’s story. Maybe his priorities are just different. Maybe he doesn’t care how he’s perceived. But I’m not buying that. Everyone cares – to differing degrees, of course, but no one’s trying to be the next LaRue Martin.
That’s why I’ll never understand why Miami came together as it did. LeBron and Wade have the goods to bring home a title as the guy. But they chose fun (or what they perceived as fun) over satisfaction.
For one fleeting moment, we have the opportunity to separate the man from the boy. I’m sick of all these alpha dog arguments, frankly. We all know there’s only one way to settle basketball disputes. And there’s no doubt that both will bring it. No entourages, no egos, no gimmicks. One hoop and two players. LeBron’s towering athleticism vs. D-Wade’s freakish speed. LeBron’s headband vs. D-Wade’s sleeve.
But this matchup elicits one overarching fear which I have continued to grapple with: would LeBron or Wade take this game of one-on-one seriously? A dominating performance by either player could make for some awkward team dynamics. LeBron was willing to sacrifice a solo legacy for friendship, so who’s to say that he won’t fire jumpers and relax on defense?
If this tournament were real, my only hope would be that these two take it seriously. As fans, we dream. We hope. We probably take basketball a bit too seriously. But it’s healthy, real and honest. It’s emotion in its purest form. So LeBron and Wade, don’t let us down. Give us a battle for the ages.
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