Cavaliers’ James’ NBA debut is one to remember

The world of sports was lame this week without a doubt.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ESPN’s wannabe hit… The world of sports was lame this week without a doubt.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ESPN’s wannabe hit series ‘Playmakers’ was corny as usual, and the continuation of the whole Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal catfight played out rather quickly once again — unfortunately, without a scratch on Shaq.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ With the Major League Baseball season officially over and the opening weeks of the NHL being undoubtedly dull, it was like pulling teeth to find something worth my time this week.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ And then came LeBron James.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While National Basketball Association games are generally a sight for sore eyes and are not far from a circus act, watching James brings the NBA back to the good old days when basketball was fun to watch.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Like when Larry Bird’s crotch was barely covered by his shorts and Michael Jordan was in his prime. The new kid on the block can play basketball and he does it with such finessethat I actually can stand to watch an NBA game again.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ James finally hit the court Wednesday night, in perhaps the most highly anticipated season opener in NBA history. There was so much hype built up for this game, and he knew that all eyes were on him.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Many said he would choke and others thought he may not be NBA material yet. But James answered. He shocked the world and made history in his first game with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ James contributed brilliantly, producing 25 points, nine assists, and four steals, which are statistics that are better than any 18-year-old ever in their NBA debut. He certainly proved he can compete, and he’s already on everybody’s watch list.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But his performance was meaningless. Despite his incredible figures, his team lost big, 106-92 to the Sacramento Kings.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Probably for the first time in his life, James will play for a losing team. During his childhood and even in his high school days, he was such a standout that no one could keep up with him. He had the power to single-handedly win games.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ That’s not going to happen anymore. There’s too much quality competition in the league, and he’s not going to always control the tempo of the game.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Cavaliers are young, inexperienced, and probably will not win a lot of games this year. So here’s what’s going to happen with Mr. James:

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He seems like a decent kid. He speaks well, dresses appropriately and knows how to handle himself with the public. But regardless, by nature, the kid’s a little bit cocky.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ James is going to continue to put up outstanding numbers and the Cavs are going to continue to lose. We’re going to witness a very upset, stressed out, and frustrated side of James that we never before saw.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ He will start moaning and groaning about how he works harder than everyone else and does more than his fair share and nobody helps out. His team will then hate him and he will quickly wear out his welcome.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Next season, James will return to perform even more brilliantly and play for an even crappier team. Ideas will begin to pop into his head and trade rumors will erupt. He’ll stick it out and finish his second season, miserable, depressed and confused at the age of 21.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Speaking of being 21, let’s throw in a Driving Under the Influence of alcohol in there to spice up the drama.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ So now he’s the bad guy all of a sudden with a terrible reputation because, after all, that’s our job in the media. He can no longer stick it out and he needs to get out. He sits down with his coach Paul Silas along with the management and they decide that it’s best for him to go.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Who else better than the Los Angeles Lakers to sweep James off his feet and bring him to the West Coast. They set him up with a nice Hollywood suite and give him a contract bigger than the Powerball. After all, do you think Kobe Bryant will actually still be around?

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Lakers head coach Phil Jackson, the grandfather of superstar players with drama baggage, will take James under his wing and show him the light. His off-the-court problems will continue, but what the heck, he’s winning games again.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ So here’s your future LeBron, — read it and weep.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ I love to watch him play, but unfortunately he’s got some pretty big shoes to fill and he’s only a kid. It’s going to be very difficult to be the man everyone wants him to become.

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Ryan Faloon is a columnist for the Pitt News who loves to hear your feedback and especially thanks the godfather himself, Bill Harlak, for being such a fan.