May 19, 2008
If I was LeBron James, I would go to the Cavaliers front office and ask for some more help.
Cleveland took Boston to seven games, and LeBron put on quite a show on Sunday. The bottom line is, the Cavaliers have to add to their personnel if they want to win an NBA title. There is no way that James, with that roster, can win a championship. I know he is great but it doesn't matter how super he is, Cleveland cannot win it all with that lineup.
I know the Cavaliers made moves before the trade deadline to bolster the team. Daniel Gibson was sidelined Sunday, and if he had played he could have contributed and taken a little pressure off of James.
Let's talk about the fact that LeBron James is just 23 years old. He was the second-youngest to win an NBA scoring title. James scored 45 against Boston even with the Celtics knowing he was going to get the ball 80-90 percent of the time.
It is unbelievable what he has achieved already. How many people thought he could lead Cleveland to the Finals a year ago? When it is all said and done, there will be an argument over the best player in NBA history.
I never thought that after Michael Jordan there could even be a discussion. Think about what Michael the Magnificent accomplished. I never thought in my lifetime that we would talk about anyone else because MJ was so brilliant; an incredible NBA talent, a leader and winner. As a college player, he was not the greatest that I saw in my almost 30 years at ESPN/ABC, but he learned so much from the Dean Smith system.
I did not think that anyone could get to Jordan's level. When it is all said and done, I feel there will be some arguments. In about 10 years, guys like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant will enter the discussion. That is how good these guys are.
For now, LeBron knows he played his heart out. His team fell just short of surviving and advancing. James has a lot to be proud of.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
