With everyone in NBA circles focused on the hype around Zion Williamson, I think people might be sleeping on Rui Hachimura. While he was a very much heralded lottery draft pick (the first player from Japan to ever go that high) he wasn’t necessarily viewed as a slam dunk. He was seen as athletic, unselfish and pretty much viewed as a defensive specialist. However, this is a guy who has shockingly only been playing basketball for about seven years. And given the leaps he took at Gonzaga in his second and third years, it’s not ridiculous to imagine another leap or two from what we’ve already seen. With his play in the recent FIBA world basketball championships, he showed that he could carry the offensive load, and at times even dominate. This was something he didn’t need to show on a more balanced Gonzaga offense. But now that he has shown the ability to dominate on both ends of the court, I expect his stock to rise even more. There will always be an adjustment period for rookies as their bodies get used to going against much larger and more athletic players. But the flashes Rui has shown could turn into something truly special once he hits his NBA stride.

When I first saw you, you were my mortal enemy.

I was a rabid Blazermaniac and you were latest incarnation of Laker evil.

Just as my Blazers were gaining momentum: Sabas, Sheed, Mighty Mouse, Smitty, Pip—you showed up and rained on our parade.

And that game 7—man, you left me in a smoldering pile, unable to move after what I had just witnessed. I still wake up in a sweat over nightmares of that 4^th quarter…

Oh, I loathed you man.

The years went on and you got even better. Just more salt in the wound. The superstar next door, sent from the basketball gods to deny my squad access to the Promised Land.

But then something happened along the way. It took my team drifting to mediocrity to realize it. I was finally able to see you in an unbiased light. And damn, when I really watched you, destroying other teams, hoisting trophies—you were better than I feared.

It wasn’t just the high-flying antics—best dunks in the game. Or the insane bouts of scoring—Eighty-one?! It was something deeper, wiser, maybe even mystical. You were channeling something. You had a crazy focus—manifested by that driven look in your eye and punctuated by jersey ripping celebrations.

It was then I realized that there was no one in the game like you. You wanted it more. You obsessed over it. Frankly, you played the game and approached the game the way I wished every pro athlete did, but was always disappointed they didn’t. The rare best player who actually pushed himself to become even greater. Yikes.

You maximized your already insane talents, and squeezed entirely new skills out of your body and mind. I started devouring your interviews, enthralled by your bits of wisdom and barbs of honesty leveled at how soft the game had become. I enjoyed hearing about your practice rants as you morphed into some kind of basketball Steve Jobs—demanding perfection from your entire roster. I watched how the others—superstars even would gather around you in awe, during the Olympics or All-Star weekends. You spent most of your career a living legend and carrying that mantle damn well.

Most of all, even when I was a screaming, hating Rip City snorting Blazermaniac, you made the game of basketball feel vital. Not just another sport. But THE sport.

Whether despising you or eventually appreciating you—the game was elevated by your presence.

Now that you tell us the end is near, I am proud to say I see the light. I’m glad I was not blinded by it forever.

And hell, now that you won’t be suiting up in purple and gold and defying my Zers, I can root wholeheartedly for you in your post basketball career.

Respect,

A Blazer fan who recognizes a legend

We are well into LeBron’s era now.

He’s made 6 Finals. And often by carrying an under-talented squad. No wonder he was so giddy to join the Big 3 in Miami. You get a real sense of the weight of LeBron’s burden seeing him running out of gas trying to carry a team of role players to the NBA’s ultimate prize.

You can’t help but mentally glance back at Jordan and acknowledge how well those Bulls teams were constructed and coached. Scottie Pippen always there, a reliable MVP caliber player to take over or lead the second unit.

I’ve never seen this kind of superstar before. I honestly felt like LeBron could take on an entire team. That feels ridiculous to say out loud. Pre-title Jordan was like that, but MJ never made the Finals that way. It was only after Phil Jackson coaxed Jordan into trusting his teammates, that those Bulls teams began to soar.

LeBron got to this stage by being an unselfish superstar. Who made his teammates better. It was only when his teammates went down that some kind of selfish LeBron was forced to emerge. He really doesn’t look comfortable in that role. Kobe is always in that role. But LeBron is built differently than MJ or Kobe. And in these Finals, you could see LeBron’s life force draining by having to play that way. It was real ugly basketball to watch LeBron dribble for 20 seconds while his teammates stood around. It also seemed like the most efficient use of talent at the time.

With the King and his mean now vanquished, we’re left to pick through the rubble and sort out legacy. The slow drum of BEST EVER beating in the stadium of my imagination. It’s a riddle that all fans of the game must sort out. How great is LeBron?

The odds LeBron faced in this series feel like they will be permanently attached to his narrative. In 20 years, some dudes will be in a barbershop saying ‘Remember the time LeBron almost beat the Warriors single-handedly?’ That’s a compelling ‘what if.’ It builds out the King’s resume. Even in defeat. I don’t think my mind could handle the shock if LeBron would have beaten the Warriors and hoisted the Larry Obrien trophy with these Cavs. That would just make no sense. Maybe that’s why it didn’t happen.

So what happens next?

LeBron remains crazy hungry. Adds some new skill in the off-season. (Some kind of deadly Jordan fade away?) Some of his talented teammates heal and return to action. Maybe D-Wade even comes to Cleveland? The Cavs are contenders again next year.

In fact, I pencil in a rematch of this year’s Finals. And with a little luck, the Cavs will make it full strength and we’ll get a re-run of what this Finals should have been. In a way it feels like we were cheated out of a proper match up this year. In another way, it feels like we were handed some bizarre American Gladiator slash Running Man style reality show. Make the best player in the league run the gauntlet against the best team in the league. Maybe that should be the new Finals format. Judging by the TV ratings, it’s a pretty entertaining formula.

In the meantime, huge congrats to MVP Steph Curry, new head coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors. Your upstart system of ball worked from opening night. You are the best team in the NBA. For purists, you have restored order to the world by proving that basketball is a team sport. Despite some strong evidence to the contrary.

And here’s a warning to the rest of the NBA. Beware of a hungrier, grittier, meaner LeBron next year. This was a feel good season of returning home. In a way, the Cavs overachieved by getting as far as they did. But this chapter ended bitterly.

Prepare for the King to strike back.

Let’s stop trying to compare LeBron to other greats.

In order to make some sense of our chaotic little lives on this blue marble we call Earth, we love to find patterns and make comparisons. It makes us feel like we’re in control. Even though we’re not.

But nature often defies comparison. And we are uncomfortable with anomalies.

In the basketball world, there is no greater anomaly than LeBron James.

What the heck is he? Ever since MJ hung up his Air Jordans, he has been the unwavering standard by which basketball greatness is measured. But after all these years of asking if LeBron is the next Jordan, maybe we’re missing some larger cosmic truth.

LeBron James is emerging as his own kind of basketball beast. In the process he is sentencing Kobe to a legend status of ‘a lesser Jordan.’ Kind of the basketball equivalent of an amazing Mona Lisa forgery. Kobe is no doubt a legend, but he has given us very little of his own DNA over the course of his career long MJ impression.

LeBron on the other hand has our basketball compass spinning in circles. Oh that court vision is like Magic! That thunderous jam over the Pistons was like Jordan! Oh look, he’s posting up centers now! What the heck is LeBron?!

Michael Jordan was easy to categorize in basketball terms. He was the greatest shooting guard of all time. He played like a shooting guard. He redefined what a shooting guard was. But no one will sit here and say MJ was kind of like a small forward or a point guard.

But with LeBron’s confusingly impressive skillset, you can’t really define him by position. Best three ever? Sure. But he does a hell of a lot of two-guard things. And who is bringing the ball up the court every possession in crunch time like a point guard? Bron.

LeBron is simply a great basketball player. That’s the only way to categorize him. You’ve got to take a really high angle view of his talents. The less we force ourselves to compare and contrast LeBron with past legends, the more we can simply enjoy the dominating exploits of one of the best basketball players of all time.

Period.

I’ve been a LeBron fan since ESPN started showing his games when he was still in high school. He was clearly special from the beginning and has done a hell of a job living up to the unprecedented hype.

But from an old-school, basketball snob perspective, there has always been this lingering knock that LeBron doesn’t have ‘that killer instinct.’ LeBron’s critics have always looked for an MJ-esque snarl or a Kobe fire-breathing dragon face. But instead LeBron usually opts for a huge grin and an elaborate handshake with a teammate.

From a basketball aesthetic point of view, LeBron has mostly approached the game like he was playing in summer league. Wanting to be buds with both locker rooms. Setting himself up to have a kind of benevolent dominance that bodes well for global marketing campaigns.

But last night in game two of the Finals against the Warriors, we saw a different shade of LeBron: Angry LeBron. He’s the LeBron we’ve all been waiting for. The guy who puts his head down and attacks to the hoop. The guy who spikes the basketball off the jumbotron after securing an OT victory. The guy who howls to the rafters just because.

Last night, LeBron went mental. He went angry and primal. And through his effort he was able to take the depleted, spare-change roster of the Cleveland Cavs and will them to victory. It was one of those rare moments in team sport where a single individual controlled the destiny of the match. We were accustomed to feeling that with MJ. But right now, LeBron is getting his chance to match that lone-wolf playstyle.

And LeBron should be angry the way the Warriors are hacking every part of his body and getting away with flagrant fouls. It brings back images of the Bad Boy Pistons laying wood on his Airness. I hope the Warriors keep up the approach, because they have poked the dragon that is LeBron James. And we are being treated to a rarefied dimension of an already legendary basketball player.

You’re really gonna like him when he’s angry.

There’s a well-worn backhanded compliment about Allen Iverson.

‘He was great for his size.’

Hogwash.

Allen Iverson was great for any size. He does not need any padded qualifiers to justify the hyperbole around his game. Iverson is a flat out legend. He was simply great.

Period. Paragraph. End of career.

Single defenders could not keep up with Iverson. He was too quick, too fidgety to be contained. It wasn’t a matter of when Iverson would cross you up, but how. No two of his killer crossovers were the same. 

His handles and first step defined a generation of wannabe streetballing Iversons. You know the types. The dudes down at the local court, wearing a sleeve on their arm because Iverson did. Same with the tats, same with the do-rag. Then the game starts and these Iverson-lites start doing crossovers at half-court, unguarded but still determined to show off their handles.

But Iverson was inimitable.

Once he would leave his man off balance, nursing broken ankles and a nasty floorburn, he would turn his attack to the forest trees defending the lane.

There was no hesitation. No thought of 'oh, but my size…’ There was only clear and decisive cutting to the hoop. There was the intentional drawing of contact. There was very often a foul. And also, very often, there was the ball going through the hoop to start yet another three-point play.

Iverson played with a heart as big as the invisible chip on his shoulder. He never lost that chip. Even when he was certified league MVP and taking his sub-par Sixers team single-handedly to the NBA Finals in 2001. The chip remained. When asked repeatedly about the events of once infamous 'practice’ the chip most definitely remained.

Iverson seemed uncomfortable being the best player in the game after Jordan. He didn’t accept being an heir apparent. He seemed determined to promote an image of himself that went against everything MJ had conveyed with his. Iverson was controversial in interviews, where Jordan had been unfailingly diplomatic. He chose to be loyal to the streets, where Jordan had chosen to be loyal to the boardrooms. Iverson was a walking tattoo parlor menu, while Jordan chose to display no ink.

To fans, Allen Iverson was the changing face of the NBA during the growing pains of not having Michael Jordan around. You always got the feeling that Iverson sensed that, but that he didn’t want to come within a mile of a mantle that weighty.

Instead, we were just treated to some of the best individual basketball we have ever witnessed. We were treated to a singular talent who seemed to give 210% on a nightly basis. We enjoyed a prinkly personality who gave us soundbytes even when he was trying to ignore the media. Yet for all we witnessed of Iverson’s extraordinary talent, we still know so little about him. Ironic for a man whose nickname is The Answer.

So tonight, as Iverson’s number 3 is rightly raised to the rafters, we are left with questions about who the man was. But we are left with nothing but certainty about the basketball player Allen Iverson was.

Allen Iverson was great.

On paper, there are no major setbacks that would prevent the Miami HEAT from adding a third championship to their string of consecutive titles. LeBron still remains at the height of his powers and in fact appears to still be improving. Scary. He is still surrounded with an effective mix of All-Stars and gritty role players who know their place. The biggest question would have to be the same one as last year: How productive can D-Wade be? If offseason tweets and Instagrams are any indication, D-Wade remains hungry to disprove his detractors and exert himself as a top tier player. If D-Wade produces anywhere near his level from last season, I expect no one to stand in the way of a Miami three-peat.

LEBRON JAMES

The King has steamrolled two thick layers of concrete between him and his Decision debacle. It remains an embarrassing episode, but its long term impact has been effectively squelched. Proving that winning does in fact cure all. LeBron has been proven right in his claim that he went to Miami to win. His talents remain unquestioned. Last year he added consistent long range shooting to his arsenal, which paid legendary dividends in sealing the championship. It’s really up to LeBron what aspect of his game he chooses to work on next. He is as near to a complete superstar as we have seen in this era. (His ability to defend against all five positions raises him above Kobe in his prime.)

DWAYNE WADE

On any given play, D-Wade still had the ability to dominate. His health remains a concern. But if he can limit his minutes and keep on the court, he provides an important cog in what the Big Three will be able to accomplish. Many people have questioned Wade’s skill over the offseason, and he may use this as motivation to disprove his naysayers. This personal quest for validation could help provide Miami with an edge they need as they look to win their third straight title.

CHRIS BOSH

Bosh came up big in key moments during the Finals, but has seemed a largely absent storyline compared with the hype when he first joined Miami. Bosh still possesses all-star talent at the 4, but I wonder if he has grown complacent and okay with being the third wheel on a modern NBA dynasty. It would be nice for a tenacious, velociraptor-like Bosh to emerge this season. It was fun when he used to roam the courts freely in Toronto, eating fools.

RAY ALLEN

Ray-Ray will continue to do what Ray-Ray does. His minutes don’t really matter. He will come in for spot up attempts and showcase the prettiest long range jumper the game has ever seen. It’s as though Ray Allen has evolved into a kind of living exhibit, a holographic visage that appears beyond the arc and offers the youngsters a free tutorial in the perfect way to shoot a basketball. He should be in the position to save the HEAT’s season again with a clutch three in the NBA Finals. He still got enough game to be relevant.

BIRDMAN

Chris Andersen will continue to be the modern day Dennis Rodman and energize Miami’s second unit with hustle plays, blocks and soaring rebounds. He is a pure adrenaline guy, which is a nice addition to a team full of now veteran assassins. Birdman feels like a wildcard, in a good way. He will continue to play a valuable role. The only concern is that he is another key HEAT player over 30 years old. Something the front office may want to address before LeBron starts planning his globally streamed Decision Part 2.

SHANE BATTIER

Battier is also another one of the HEAT’s elder statesmen. It feels like he should be on the Spurs. He will once again stabilize the defensive ability of Miami’s second unit. He doesn’t need to score a point to do his thing, and can still be counted on to knock down the wide open three-ball. A good legacy player to have in the mix.

UDONIS HASLEM

Haslem’s production has been on the steady decline for the past three seasons. He still offers noteworthy rebounding at nearly 8 boards per game. With all the scoring talent on the HEAT, he is not really required to score double figures as he did in his prime. If he keeps the focus on gritty defense and solid rebounding, he will help this team win games.

MICHAEL BEASLEY / GREG ODEN

Yes, Greg Oden, aka Wise LeBron will be sitting at the end of the Miami bench this season. He and Beasley represent two roster players who there are literally zero expectations for. If Oden can somehow play his first minutes in three seasons, it will be a plus and a bit of a feel good story. Also, there are some hilarious commercial and web videos possibilities having LeBron and Oden on the same team. Beasley didn’t contribute last year, and the onus is really on him weather he will break into the rotation or not. There is no meaningful role for him to play.

Once again, the Blazers will feature one of the strongest starting fives in the NBA. They’ll be able to hold their own until the substitutions start happening. And with the sound offseason acquisitions, Portland has a legitimate bench this year as well. On paper. I expect all of the starting five to improve production from last year. On paper, this is a 7 or 8 seed that can push for 6^th best in the West with some mojo and a few breaks.

THE STARTERS:

LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE

There is not much more we can ask of LMA. He’s proven himself one of the game’s top big men. I would only ask for his fire and commitment to this team. He will get his numbers for his personal glory, but I wish he would emerge as a locker room leader for this developing club. No more trade rumors please!

DAMIAN LILLARD

I expect D-LIL to follow up his spectacular Rookie of the Year campaign with a spectacular second season. He was already damn good, and now he has the benefit of having seen all the defenses and schemes built to slow him down. He’s a quick learner, so knowing he’s a marked man, he will find a way to get great results. Also I expect his minutes to go down now that he has two veteran point guard backups to relieve him in Mo Williams and Earl Watson.

ROBIN LOPEZ

Robin Lopez gives the Blazers a much needed legitimate starting center. With Aldridge scoring big up front, Lopez can be more defensive and rebound minded. Any points he scores will take the pressure off of LMA. He really should be grabbing near double digit rebounds and especially be pounding the hell out of the offensive glass.

NIC BATUM

Batum is already the Blazers best all-around player. This season he needs to make the leap to all-star level wingman. He can do this by upping his aggressiveness on the offensive end and not disappearing for quarters and halves at a time. He should be in the 18-19 ppg range with his athleticism, shooting and talent.

WES MATTHEWS

Matthews can score more, but with all the firepower in the starting 5, he doesn’t need to. He can take over in spurts with his shooting. I expect his output to be virtually the same as last season.

THE RESERVES:

DORRELL WRIGHT

Finally, legitimate scoring and rebounding off the bench. How well Wright performs as a key reserve early on, will predict how well the Blazers can do. We need Dorrell to offer instant energy, tenacious defense and solid rebounding. If he does, he can ensure we won’t drop off when the subs start rolling in.

MO WILLIAMS

Mo Williams provides much needed veteran leadership and even more needed back-up for Damian Lillard. How well he gels and can get contributions from the other reserves will be worth its weight in gold. He is the leader of Portland’s bench. Something I am hoping he owns and creates an identity for.

EARL WATSON

Watson will provide more experienced back court options. He is another capable ball-handler who can let D-LIL play shooting guard. A configuration we might see more and more since Lillard loves and thrives in the off the ball role. Solid pickup that supports Lillard’s stake as a franchise player the front office is committed to building around.

THOMAS ROBINSON

I see Robinson as our effort guy. He’s the closest thing this incarnation has to a Brian Grant level force of nature. I think he can dominate the second unit. He can score the ugly buckets and put-backs. He will put pressure on the other team’s bench and outplay them. He will push and earn more minutes as the campaign goes on.

MEYERS LEONARD

Leonard needs to learn all he can from Robin Lopez about being an effective big man in the NBA. I hope they go hard at each other every day in practice. We’ll need solid back-up minutes from him. Around 9-10 minutes per game. He has the longest ways to go, but appears to be putting in the work. Could surprise some folks.

Dwight Howard doesn’t make the Houston Rockets a title contender. No center can do that in the modern era. For a team to dominate in 2013, they need superstar playmakers. See what LeBron and D-Wade have done in Miami. Those are two guys who can single handedly get their own shots and make their teammates better. It’s hard for a center to be a playmaker, because they rely on their teammates to get them the ball. SHAQ was dominate, IN THE PAINT, but it was Kobe and the reliable outside shooters that energized the Lakers to their dynastic championships.

Dwight Howard is not a playmaker. He cannot pass and he cannot singlehandedly create his own shots. The moves he has are not sufficient to dominate. His post game is awkward. He is a fantastic rebounder and a savvy enough defender. Those elements are valuable, but not MOST VALUABLE.

The NBA is owned by all around playmakers. By wings with handles and high basketball IQ. Give those players decent to fairly good post players who can rebound and defend and you will have a shot at the title. James Harden is a great playmaker, but he needs more time to develop into the killer court general who can takeover a game with the force of his personality. Dwight Howard is not the running mate James Harden needs to hoist the hardware. James Harden needs another all around playmaker, like LeBron, Kobe, Tony Parker, Chris Paul, or even a Paul Pierce to have a legitimate title shot. The hope was that Jeremy Lin could fill that role, but after the mist of Linsanity lifted, we all realized that Lin is performing more as a role player and not as the ridiculous create a player from his month of NBA Jam level white hottedness.

I rank the Lakers, with a recovered Kobe and Steve Nash, as more legitimate title contenders than Houston.

On the occasion of his back-to-back NBA championships and Finals MVP.

Welcome to the NBA Wonder Years.

Brought to you by LeBron King James, Self-Annointed Chosen One, His Royal Decider.

Today marks the end of the NBA as we know it. Michael Jordan’s legacy is now securely encased in carbonite. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have given their blessing. It’s a day we all saw coming for over a decade.

LeBron James has claimed his throne.

Now his detractors will have to get more creative. Gone are all the opportunities to call him ringless. LeBron got his. Just as the immense decade of hype promised. We’ve seen highly touted stars more often miss the mark than hit it. Which makes LeBron’s feat all the more impressive.

It’s time for the world to think of LeBron differently now. At first we demanded a Jordan replica to fill the void that his Airness left. When LeBron showed he didn’t have the identical tougne wagging swagger, we were collectively let down and shifted our attention to Kobe who has seemed to make a career out of modeling his game after Jordan.

But LeBron’s game was elusive. Tough to pin down in a single mold. He was a freak of nature who could leap tall buildings, yet also seemed perfectly at ease dishing the ball in the final seconds. And was called a cop out for it. Was he Jordan or was he Magic? We needed an exact legend equation to understand his unique gift.

As I watched King James hoist his Larry O’Brien trophy, I considered that maybe we should simply be enjoying this. Were we disappointed that Michael didn’t dominate with the same Showtime flair as Magic? Were we okay with Larry Bird being the Hick from French Lick, a previously unknown brand of basketballer?

Just because the NBA has been in the collective consciousness for several decades now, doesn’t mean that history is going to ever repeat itself. There will be new types of superstars. There will be point guards who achieve iconic status by being nothing like Magic Johnson. Superstars will find ways to carry their teams to titles in ways we haven’t seen before. We are now starting to see LeBron dominate the league in his own way. We haven’t found a perfect way to describe it yet, but we better get on that.

For me, LeBron’s game might be considered what we call in baseball, a five-tool player. The rare superstar who has the gene to excel in every category his sport demands. LeBron can score on anyone, at any time. Check. He has a sixth sense court awareness that earns him high numbers of assists. He can out rebound anyone on the floor. And he has the intangible ‘coolest guy in the locker room vibe.’ You can tangibly feel his aura. Just watch how his teammates react to him, or how they talk about in him interviews. See how they gush with respect. Not in an awkward, I have to do this way, but in a ‘that guy is a basketball alien sent to destroy us all’ kind of reverence. Heck, even watch how LeBron is the social center of attention when the All Stars gather, or the Olympic team even.

For the first time since Jordan (sorry Kobe), we have the best basketball player on the planet winning a championship. He’s hungry, he’s in his prime, and he somehow, still has room for improvement. Look at how much LeBron keeps adding to his game. That’s something that the great ones have always done. Kobe, the current Godfather of the NBA linked that legacy between the 90s and today, and thankfully it’s considered cool to practice again. There was a brief post-Jordan moment when the NBA turned into a glorified version of the And1 circuit. Guys like Latrell Spreewell, JR Rider, Rasheed Wallace and others would famously loaf through practice, only to let their instinct and raw talent out when the arena lights turned on on game day. That made for amazing highlight tapes, but you felt a tangible disrespect for the game between the lines.

Now, the three best players in the league are notorious gym rats. Kobe wakes up at three am to get his work in. Kevin Durant stays in the gym after the game to refine his already perfect touch. And LeBron James, the King of them all sets up grueling workouts for himself with Hakeem Olajuwan in the summer and trains each part of his game with workman like efficiency. The game comes easily to these guys, but they are championing a work ethic that will trickle down to all levels of the game and inspire intense hustle and sacrifice. LeBron’s example will make basketball better. Just watch.

Is LeBron perfect? Hell no. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tune in and respect what he is doing on the basketball court. He is playing the game the right way, with his own power twists. He is loved by his teammates and is only going to improve.

We haven’t had a champion like this in the NBA in a long time.

All hail the King.