Is LeBron James becoming too much?

Back in 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. With that pick, the Cavaliers selected an 18 year old small forward from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School named LeBron James. After being drafted, James began to send the NBA into shock and awe as he continued to dazzle us with bone crushing dunks, amazing three pointers, and crazy shots that you never thought would go in. For seven years, I had to watch this guy become the greatest player in the NBA and pretty much single handedly destroy my Chicago Bulls.

He spend four years with the Miami Heat where he played along side All-Star players Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, went to four consecutive NBA Finals, and won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. Now, he's back in Cleveland and he's got something similar going down with the Cavaliers like he did in Miami. The Cavaliers had drafted point guard Kyrie Irving with the No. 1 overall pick in 2011 NBA Draft and has grown into one of the NBA's best point guards. After James had come to Cleveland, the team decided to send their No. 1 overall pick in 2014 NBA Draft in Andrew Wiggins, their No. 1 overall pick in 2013 NBA Draft in Anthony Bennett, and a future first round pick to Minnesota in a three-team trade that included the Philadelphia 76ers in order to acquire forward/center Kevin Love. It's pretty much like taking something, copying it, pasting it, and then doing a little editing.

LeBron James came up with a new trend: The LeBron Lip

But this year has not been easy for Cleveland's "Big Three" and the team right now have a shocking record of 19-20. 19-20! I mean seriously think about this: a team that consist of three All-Stars, that each have the ability to score 20+ points a game, and were named the favorite to win this year's NBA title are now below .500 and starting to show cracks in the armor.

So what's the point of mentioning all this? Well it's because in my opinion, I think LeBron James is hurting the Cavaliers more so than he is helping them. It's not to say he does not contribute his effort and skills to the game, but there just seems to be a disturbance within this organization that is throwing off the balance. The reason I think it's James that is the problem is what I witnessed on ESPN the morning of Jan. 13: 

LeBron James starts to get into an argument with one of the referees in their game against the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland head coach George Blatt steps in between James and the ref to break up the argument, and then next you know, LeBron pushes or shoves Blatt right to the side.

I understand that they each claimed they were coming to
one another's side, but coach Blatt's face does not not look
like he is trying to protect LeBron. More like shocking surprise

Seriously... James shoved his head coach. Now I could understand the coach doing that to a player to get him out of the argument, but player to the head coach? I think that's a whole other level that should not be approached. To me though, I saw this as a sign that leads me to the thought that maybe LeBron James is one of those players that has a label on him that says, "uncoachable" which I do feel fits his persona. Now I do not know James in any way, shape, or form. I have never talked with him or interviewed (although I'd love to someday) or anything of that sort. However, there was the moment in Miami when LeBron James and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra bumped shoulders into on another instead of one getting out of the way of the other. I remember that analysts picked that video apart in order to speculate if James was possibly butting heads with Spoelstra. The video was eventually downplayed as just "I did not see him" kind of thing, but that could have been cover over our eyes. The same thing happened after this incident between Blatt and James. Both made claims that they were trying to protect the other from getting a foul or something. But Blatt's face on the sidelines seems a little too much like "deer in the headlights" kind of look.

But since LeBron left Cleveland to go to Miami, I've felt that his presence as an athlete and player has slowly begun to decline with the rising of what seems to me is his celebrity status. Honestly, I think that is where LeBron James is at right now; less athlete, more celebrity. Now for those that would agree with me, understand that I do understand that he is not the only one. But when you are considered to be of the greatest athletes of the decades and whose face is on just about every product basketball or sports affiliated, even I would feel like of the top celebrities out there (which he is). But is that the best thing for him? I think about the fact that if James was not putting up 20+ points a game this season, he would probably still make the All-Star game and start. Why? Because he's a big name that just about everyone knows and would bring in the crowds. That is it.

Kyrie Irving rolls his eyes and sighs after LeBron James
tells him that he is going to rip his gear off like Superman

Honestly, I don't see it being what he needs for his career. I mean come on! You are the NBA's top athlete right now, making millions of dollars and this is what you give us? Now I am, by no means, a fan of LeBron James. I respect his game rightfully because he plays it well, but personally, he seems to just be very... egotistically maybe? I really could not say because as I said before, I don't know the guy at all. I'm just going based off what I've seen, heard, heard him say, and so on. I'm also still waiting for him to address the fact that he has not played up to the standards that we know he is capable of playing at for us. Of course he could have and maybe I just did not hear it.

Regardless, I think it has become clear that the Cleveland Cavaliers are beginning to fall apart all over. There are rumors already about where Kevin Love will play next after he [supposedly] opts out of his contract after this season. The same is also being said about LeBron James. There are questions as to whether George Blatt will be in Cleveland next season or even for the remainder of this year because of the fact that he seems to not have the kind of control that this team obviously needs. So much being asked about this team of great players, and yet it's just the halfway point of the season. If I were the owner of the Cavaliers, I would be so embarrassed right now. Not just with the season, but how the organization that I control is being talked about.

Head coach George Blatt and forward Kevin Love discuss
what their future plans are this next offseason

So what do I think will become of the Cleveland Cavaliers' team either during or after this season? Well, I do think LeBron James will stay possibly one more year, just to give the fans of Cleveland one more show before he leaves after that to go to like Los Angeles or New York. For Kevin Love, I think he will probably head for the Lakers, Knicks, or Celtics once this season is all said and done. Kyrie Irving will stay in Cleveland and be the hero that he has truly become for the city and it's fans. Head coach George Blatt will [maybe] get one more year if the team can finish above .500 on the season and then will be replaced after next season when Cleveland probably has another drop-off year. Even though I'm a Chicago Bulls fan, I hope I will be wrong. I know things are not going so well for my Bulls right now, but at least we finally have a team that is sitting on top of the division... for now.