Thanks For Renting The Crown...

...Michael will have it back now. In the most highly anticipated season of his career since he broke into the league in 2003 Lebron James has shown us what he truly is: a guy who just wants to be liked by all and make good looking video clips. He betrayed his hometown to go play with his buddies in a city known more for its night clubs than it's sports clubs (sorry Dolphins, your years of mediocrity have doomed you). He put himself squarely in the hot seat the moment he bragged how he, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were going to win 10 championships together at what I assume was a KISS concert hijacked by two superstars and their awkward bird-looking friend. It is going to be hard for Lebron to re-define his legacy after the events of the last 12 months, even if they win the title this year or make good on his 10 ring promise.

The first flag was The Decision/The Celebration. The fallout was immediate. Charles Barkley put it best when he said that he, nor Michael, nor Magic, nor Bird, nor any of the pantheon greats would have sold out to go play on another superstar's team. America responded how it almost always does when a team brings in a bunch of superstars: disgust. Before the first ball was even tipped the Heat became the team everyone wanted to beat. Often the reigning champ is the one who gets everyone's best shot, which is why repeating is such a hard thing, but Miami put that bullseye on its back and didn't even have a ring to show for it.

Lebron has been called King James since he enter the national consciousness as a high school phenom. One would expect a king to respond to the pressure and criticism with a performance that made the world notice. If he was truly a pantheon great NBA player this season was the one to show it. He did not.

The first few weeks of the season he was genuinely rattled and confused at why everyone hated him. This did not surprise me at all. Despite growing up just outside of Cleveland Lebron was and still is a Yankees and Cowboys fan, teams that are known for paying for a bunch of stars and consequently teams most Americans do not like. What was surprising is how someone so image conscious could not see what was wrong with making an hour long prime time spectacle, or a fan introduction complete with laser lights, fog machine, and video displays. One thing was clear: Lebron was hurt that people did not like him any more and it affected his play. This is not the response of a great.

Even after the shaky start, his in-season performance was not that of one that put the world on notice. He was constantly deferring to Wade. He was the one you wanted to have the ball in the crunch, if you rooted for the opponent and it was a close game; he was horrendous in the big moments.

Lebron and the Heat eventually put it together and finished the year as the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. They had an easy first round of a 76ers team that is about two years away from really competing. Second round brought Lebron's long-time nemesis: the Celtics. He played great. It helped that Danny Ainge forgot that his team hadn't been beaten when everyone was healthy, they had an unshakable swagger, and that Shaq was all but finished and consequently traded Kendrick Perkins, the most underrated glue guy it would seem in history. It also helped the officials allowed Dwayne Wade to maul Rajon Rondo, someone the Heat could not guard, right out of the series.

Then came the Eastern Conference finals. Lebron was deadly. He was hitting all the big shots. Clutch threes, impossible twos, getting to the foul line. He finally looked like killer we always wanted him to be.

Enter the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. This is where he would finally be anointed. If Lebron is truly a great he will show it on the biggest stage. Game 1 looked pretty good, not great: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists. The telling thing was the minutes: 45. That is not a very efficient game.

Then came Game 2. The Heat had a 15 point lead with seven and a half minutes left. He celebrated a Dwayne Wade three pointer. The Heat blew the lead and lost. What was much more alarming was how little impact Lebron had on the game. He scored 20, pulled in 8 and helped out on 4. Wade was the man in the game: 36-3-6. Lebron deferred to him. Lebron did nothing to stem the Mavs ferocious comeback. Since then it has been all downhill for the so called King.

Games 3 and 5 were statistically good, both scored 17 points and in Game 5 he piled on 10 rebounds and assists. Again that was in 45 minutes. The average NBA player scores close to 19 points in 45 minutes. If Lebron is to be a great player he has to better than just below average. Game 4 was an unmitigated disaster: 8 points and at times I wasn't even sure he was on the floor.

The worst part about all of this is his attitude on the court. He can say in tweets and in front of the cameras about how it's now or never, and the team's back is against the wall, and it's the most important game of his career. His lips say that, his body says otherwise. He has no confidence. He doesn't want it to be his team. He has clearly given the reigns to Wade. Even in Game 5 when Wade went out hurt Lebron was passive. None of these are things a great will do. A great puts his body on the line for a championship. A great will bleed for the ring. A great does whatever it takes. There is only one great playing in Miami and that is Wade.

So, it is time for us to retire the nickname King James. These last 12 months we have learned that Lebron is not the great player we wanted him to be. He is not the second coming of His Airness. He is simply the most talented player ever who just wants to have fun, play with his friends, be loved by all, and be the subject of many highlight reel dunks and creative celebrations.