LeBron knows himself, and that's all that matters

There are people in this world who will never forgive LeBron James for leaving Cleveland, even if only for the way he did it.

Don't be one of them.

LeBron made a poor decision to air his decision on T.V., perhaps, but that shouldn't define him at this point.

As for the rest of us? We're just disappointed when it comes to LeBron, and that is understandable. LeBron gave us so much to hope for when he was in Cleveland. The Michael Jordan 2.0 talks weren't that far off. Now, LeBron's game has plateaued. His shooting hasn't improved. He's still getting by on a hefty amount of skill and talent when the rest of us see potential for absolute greatness. It's like a movie that starts out on Emmy-pace, or at least amusing-pace, only to fizzle out after the first half. You know what I'm talking about, Funny People. 

The problem is that all the analysts were right about LeBron and how he'd fit on the Miami Heat, primarily the part about him and Wade clashing. The Heat will probably win the title next year, but LeBron cannot be the same LBJ that he was in Cleveland with Miami. It just won't work, and it's not best for the Heat.

In Cleveland, LeBron didn't have a No. 2 scoring option even close to Chris Bosh's level, let alone Dwayne Wade. He was the nucleus of that team, the best scorer and the best passer. Even when Jordan retired, Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. Think Mo Williams and/or Antawn Jamison could have done that with the Cavaliers?

Between the two, Wade is a better scorer, and it's probably better for the Heat to keep it that way. LeBron can still thrive as a distributor who averages 25 points per game. Wade, on the other hand, will not thrive nearly as much as a No. 2. They're both All-Stars, no matter who handles the bulk of the scoring, but that pinewood derby car is going to go faster if you put the bulk of your weight, or talent in this case with LeBron, in the back seat.

The thing that seems to bother us that LeBron is OK with that.

We've seen him carry a team. We've seen him do things that very few players in the history of the NBA can do. LeBron James is still the best player on the planet. When he's on, he's amazing. Trust me, I've seen it first hand. Heck, we've even seen him be a pretty darn good closer as well, just not in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Let's look at those stats. LeBron averaged 3.0 points per game in six fourth quarters, and up until the sixth game of the series, he had only scored 11 fourth quarter points.

Now let's look at the truth that only LeBron James seems OK with accepting: the Miami Heat don't need big fourth quarters from him every night. They don't even need him to score late most nights. We see this as some great tragedy, as if LeBron were a child who disappoints us by not wanting as much for himself as we want for him.

But LeBron understands something that many of us don't. It's something that's guided him through his decision to go to Miami and it's guided him since. He understands the the Miami Heat, and most importantly, he understands himself. 

There's a great line in The Departed. SIDE NOTE: I know, I know. You're thinking, "Yeah, there's a hundred great lines in The Departed." And you're absolutely right. That movie is pregnant with brilliant writing and acting. But the one I'm thinking of is when Leo's talking to the shrink about being in prison. Vera Farmiga (the shrink) is going through the meeting and checking off her to-do list of inquiry into Leo's life but she can't get anything out of him, because, let's face it, the guy's a pro...or really screwed up...or both. At this point we're figuring that out piece by piece. But she asks Leo about prison, and here's the interaction:

Farmiga: I looked through your file and I see you have a record of assault. What was it like for you in jail? 

Leo: You wanna hear about the showers?

Farmiga: Did something happen to you?

Leo: No. (a beat) You sit there with a mass murderer. A mass murderer. Your heart rate is jacked, your hand...steady. That's one thing I found out about myself in prison. My hand doesn't shake, ever.

This is why we loved Dirk Nowitzki and hated LeBron James in the NBA finals. This is why a grossly overpaid Eli Manning eventually got the money he did after stringing together the best four-game stretch of his career when it mattered most. This is why Dave Roberts will always have a place to stay in Boston.

There are tons of great cops who never had to go through anything like Leo did in The Departed. But few of those cops could keep a steady hand.

Here's the big question we face about LeBron: will it matter to us if his hand still shakes with a few rings on it?

The Podcast -- Soon to come!

I'm working on getting the first podcast up and running, and I'm very excited about it. Hoping to get things rolling in the next couple of days.

Will the 'Jordan effect' diminish with time?

Michael Jordan could be one of the most effective closers of all time. Not baseball, of course. We all know how that turned out. I'm talking about recruiting. 

It's no secret that North Carolina benefits greatly from the "Jordan effect" with recruiting. I can imagine what it's like when those recruits get a letter from Air Jordan, even though I've never witnessed it or seen the letter, I still have an imagination. And if you don't get a letter from Jordan, you're could still play basketball where he did, and for some guys, that carries a lot of weight. 

But it's been a while since Jordan has played and it can be easy for some to forget just how good he was. With each passing year and each incoming recruiting class, we grow further from a generation that grew up watching Michael Jordan. What's going to happen when recruits only know Michael is the best, but never witnessed it?

Will the "Jordan effect" mean less? I think it's unavoidable. 

A letter from Jordan will always mean something; I mean, come on, it's Jordan we're talking about here. But his luster won't last forever. I think UNC may find that part of its recruitng slightly less compelling within five to ten years from now. The Tar Heels can always boast about its professional products, but by then, the program may need to sell itself a little more. 

I guess that's when UNC should be happy that it's, well, UNC.

He is who we thought he was

It's finally over. Stephen Strasburg has made his Major League debut and what a debut it was. Seven innings, four hits allowed, two earned runs and 14 strikeouts and no walks.

The fourteen strikeouts were the third most in any Major League debut, the most in Washington Nationals franchise history and only five short of the nine-innning record. It's like Strasburg told the rest of the Nationals, "Listen guys, I really only need you for a third of the time I'm in there. You guys just get me an out an inning and I'll do the rest."

It's safe to say that Strasburg is good. We knew that when he mowed through the Minor Leagues but to do the same in the Majors is another thing. Strasburg is beyond good. I'm ready to call him very good, and if he does this for much longer, he'll be pushing great. All that's left to be seen is if he can continue to be this good consistently, but he's definitely the best pitching prospect ever.

I'm not sure how careful the Nationals will be with Strasburg's arm, but if he stays in the rotation, I could see Strasburg winning up to 14 games. That would be quite a feat for a pitcher that debuted as late as he did and for a pitcher on the Nationals. Not to mention only 21 pitchers recorded more wins then that last season.

Fourteen games is a lot and it almost sounds impossible, but if there was something Strasburg has taught us it's that impossible can be reached.

Amore, I mean Amare Stoudemire

I've really come to love Amare Stoudemire over the past few seasons.

It has nothing to do with the fantasy basketball numbers he brought my team. Nothing to do with the crossover he put on Pau Gasol in game three of the Western Conference Finals (I am still looking for when Amare super-glued Pau's shoes to the floor somewhere between 0:10 and 0:12). It's not for his athleticism or his comments regarding Lamar Odom (who I'm beginning to think really was just lucky), or can somebody really just be that good one day and then so much worse another? Nope, none of that.

Amare Stoudamire is Steve Urkel. Period. That's all I need to love him. When he shows up to press conferences he's well groomed, wearing a boring sweater that fits him like a wetsuit and donning those big-ole glasses. He's well-spoken and almost acts a little timid. A la Steve Urkel.

But minutes before all those press conferences, Amare is a beast on the court, the absolute opposite of his dweeby alter-ego. Sure he's got glasses on but he owns those glasses. Look at the man hold his jersey up (in the clip) like he just pulled Excalibur out of the ground. This isn't Steve Urkel. This is Stefan Urquelle.

C'mon all you Family Matters fans, show your true colors. Gimme a high-pitched, swelling, "Hidey ho neighbor!" or a, "Did I do that?" It's just like the show. Stefan is this impressive, cool, smooth guy and Steve is a clumsy nerd who's just a considerate guy. I'm here to tell you that I think the Amare-Steve-Urkel is delightful and I'm glad that Amare-Stefan-Urquelle seems to have room for him. Question is, whichever team signs him next year, which Amare will they get?

I'm reminded of a time Steve once tried to make himself become Stefan permanently in Family Matters, but eventually he realized how great he is. I'm hoping Amare realizes the same because I don't think I would like him without both personalities.

Picking apart the LeBron dilema

My God, where to start?

There are so many issues with this franchise. The team isn't good enough and they aren't getting much better. Mike Brown seems to be as effective at coaching as Zydrunas Ilgauskas would be at running a marathon. And then there's all the LeBron James free agency questions. The last time there was an unknown this big it was if the world is flat or not. So now the question is what happens next?

If you're the Cleveland Cavaliers, disecting this situation is like trying to pick apart a Jenga tower. One wrong move and the whole thing comes crashing down. Like it or not, James has the franchise and entire city on a leash. What do you do about Mike Brown? He seems to have a good working relationship with James. If you fire him now does James leave? Do you fire him at all? The answer is yes, and this leads me to one of James' biggest thorns in his side: his loyalty.

There's no question that James is a very loyal guy. He loves Cleveland, and it seems that he and his teammates like each other. But James can't let that hold him back from what's best for him. Mike Brown isn't the best coach. He's not even close. How he managed to win coach of the year I'll never know. I never thought he had much to do with it. He just isn't going to make the Cavs a NBA Championship team.

So let's recap. Mike Brown = bad. Got that LeBron? I know you like the guy, but right now you two are on a one way street and he isn't helping you at all. So then there's the problem of the team. The Cavaliers are a team with one superstar and a few decent guys. The problem isn't a lack of talent, it's a lack of determination.

I know James wants to win a championship. I'm sure Antawn Jamison would like it. Mo Williams probably thinks it would be cool and Shaq wouldn't mind adding another to his resume. But I have yet to see any of them willing to do what it takes to win it. The only exception would be James, but even he doesn't always show it. Saluting celebrities before the game or whatever he's doing doesn't make me think that he's in a "do or die" mode.

And then of course there's James' decision. I hate to say it Cleveland fans but I don't see James returning next year. Let's face it, James has a better chance of winning with other teams. I mean, the Bulls already have Derrick Rose, a good supporting cast and room for at least one more guy. The Knicks could grab a few. The Nets may have John Wall, and they could bring in James and at least one other top tier free agent. Can you compete Cleveland?

Sure you can, like Calvin Borel in a high jump.

Look, I'm rooting for you Cleveland, well second to Prince James coming to Charlotte (my favorite team). It would be nice to see him stay and win there but it just isn't going to happen. This is how the world works. So here's how I think this summer is going to unfold: LeBron is going to New Jersey.

Not many people are talking about it. Avery Johnson mentioned it as a possibility on Mike and Mike in the morning. Remember his relationship with Jay-Z? He's a part owner of the Nets. Remember New Jersey's new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov? You think James won't like playing for a rich party boy? Sounds to me like it's just up his alley. The Nets already have a few good guys you can work around in Brook Lopez, Devin Harris and Chris Douglas-Roberts. They are building a new stadium in Brooklyn that will be available in two years. And by then, with the cap space they have, (and a assumed first pick), they could have the best team in the NBA.

Now you say, "What about New York?" I thought about that and I think the Knicks would be the second place team in the LeBron race. The Knicks just don't have quite the options New Jersey does and the biggest difference is that round-one pick.

The Bulls? Not gonna happen. You think LeBron wants to build his legacy in a city that will always be Michael Jordan's city? He isn't going to put himself in the shadow of Jordan more than he has to. Trust me LeBron has a much bigger ego than you think he does. Remember how he "spoiled" you Cleveland? I bet that when James leaves we'll hear about a few of his flaws from the teammates who took a back seat during his reign with the Cavs.

I can't predict the future. I'm only 20 years old. But I'll bet the house that I'd like to own one day that James will end up in Jersey.