The Dagger: A world without LeBron

I don’t know if I’m ready for a sports world without LeBron James.

One day, James will wake up and decide “This is it.” 

He’ll have a heart-to-heart with his lovely wife, Savannah, tell his children and inform his on and off-court teams. 

From there, Rich and the boys will decide when to inform the media – if it isn’t leaked first. The world –  and not just the sports world – will go bonkers and there will be non-stop coverage and countless storylines for possibly weeks – if not months –  about the greatness of LeBron, his legacy, what’s next and all the conjecture the public can handle. 

It’s a lot to take in because it will be a lot. Simply describing the frenzy takes a chunk of energy out of me. 

Again, I don’t know if I’m ready. For one, because of how exhausting it’ll be to witness. And for two, it’ll finally set in how important, and powerful and impactful he’s been to the league. 

LeBron drives the narrative of the NBA. Most NBA stories – if not all of them on some days – are about him. It has been that way since he entered in 2003. Hell, even before when he announced he was headed to the league. 

He is the great overseer. The one with the controller in his hand, playing the 2K NBA like a maestro. 

But one day, it’ll all be over. The Lakers missing the playoffs for the second time in the last four years was a reminder of that. 

Or…will it? Will his preeminence end? 

Well, actually…no.

Sure the media won’t be able to drool over every one of his possessions and analyze his decision to pass or shoot it in late, tight games. 

But they will discuss his cryptic tweets, comments he makes on podcasts and his inciting Instagram shots despite there being a more competitive NBA loaded with talented superstars and impossibly great moments.

Still. STILL, his name will somehow worm its way into the post-LBJ league. 

He’ll still be pushing the narrative of the NBA five or ten years after he decides to hang up his sneakers because he’s that great. He’s that mythic. He’s just that – je ne se quoi. 

Someone so fantastical and legendary can’t leave the minds and hearts of NBAers – whether they love him or hate him. Jordan retired from the league for the second and final time in 2003 and his name surfaces at least once a day somewhere in the sports world.  

The truth is, there is no world without LeBron. In one way or another, he will always have his hand on the wheel when it comes to the league or at least he’ll be sitting in the passenger seat.

He’s just too great. And with all due respect to the current players in the league – who are all truly wonderful players – they ain’t LeBron. 

Until someone else like him or close to him comes along,  he’ll be the story.