82. That Guy

I love me some Bill Simmons. Cuz he be sayin what I be sayin. Specifically, on the possibility of LeBron going to Miami:

I think it's a cop-out. Any super-competitive person would rather beat Dwyane Wade than play with him... That's why I'm holding out hope that LeBron signs with New York or Chicago (or stays in Cleveland), because he'd be saying, "Fine. Kobe, Dwight and Melo all have their teams. Wade and Bosh have their team. The Celtics are still there. Durant's team is coming. I'm gonna go out and build MY team, and I'm kicking all their asses." That's what Jordan would have done...

LeBron joining Wade after his 2010 playoffs flameout, in my opinion, is... the move of someone who, deep down, doesn't totally trust his own talents any more. And maybe he doesn't.

What should LeBron do? Pick Chicago. That's where the rings are. The fact that he didn't say to Bosh, "Come to Chicago with me, we'll play with Rose and Noah and win six titles together" was the single most disappointing outcome of the summer. That team would have been a true juggernaut with pieces that actually complemented each other, unlike this pickup-basketball situation that's brewing in Miami...

As a Chicagoan and natural D. Wade fan, I can't be that mad about the rings that may be about to pile up in Miami. And my sister had a sympathetic theory about how LeBron maybe never wanted to be That Guy. Maybe he always just wanted to be a really good player on a team of really good players, who could have fun and win titles. But... as a Chicagoan and child of the Jordan era, it's hard to watch a guy choose not to be That Guy. His "King" branding doesn't help either. Let's see how Nike spins this one.

And as usual, the entire Simmons column is worth reading.