J-Speaks: The Present, and The Future in Cleveland, OH

Before he was a four-time NBA MVP, a three-time NBA champion, and three-time Finals MVP, perennial All-Star of the Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James was a young 18-year-old rookie trying to find his way in the MVP. He was also someone who had players he idolized like Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Michael Jordan. Fifteen years later, James became all the things that they became, and he is the person that a lot of today’s young players, and rookies idolize, pattern their game after, and look to for guidance. A few of those players faced off against the James, future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, and the Cavs when the talented, and Young Los Angeles Lakers came to town. While the Cavs won the game, and James was remarkable, it was a conversation he had with a player that was in the same position as he was a decade-and-a-half ago that made headlines. 

In the Cavs (21-8) 121-112 victory versus the Los Angeles Lakers (10-17) on TNT on Thursday night, their 16^th victory in their last 17 games, James had his fourth triple-double of the season with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. It was also the 59^th triple-double of his career, which tied him with Bird for No. 6 all-time. 

The late great Wilt Chamberlin (78); Reigning MVP Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City Thunder (88, and counting); Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd (107); “Magic” Johnson (138); and Oscar Robertson (181) have garnered more triple-doubles in their careers. 

Love led the way with 28 points, and 11 rebounds. Jose Calderon had 17 points, and six assists. Jae Crowder had 11 points, while Wade, and Kyle Korver contributed 10 points each off the bench.  

However, it was a conversation that he had with the most scrutinized rookie this season in “The Association,” Lakers starting lead guard Lonzo Ball, who had 13 points, 11 assists, and eight boards on the night. 

“I didn’t tell him anything. I didn’t tell him anything,” James, who had that conversation with Ball, the No. 2 overall pick in June’s draft with his mouth being covered by his jersey said to NBA on TNT sideline reporter Kristen Ledlow after the win. “It’s not for everybody. There’s enough noise out there already with ‘Zo,’ and it’s not for me to discuss, but he has a bright future like I said the other day in my quotes.” 

There are a select few rookies that have entered the NBA in its existence, at the close of their adolescences, and have seemingly the whole world suddenly comes to know you by your first name, and the vessel of so many people’s opinions from the media to the likes of people conversing in a barbershop. When people see you, in anyway they want to see you, ignoring what is actually right in front of them. 

None of us know what it is like to be where the 20-year-old Ball is as he’s trying to navigate his way through his rookie season. There is someone though who knows exactly what Ball is experiencing this season, and that is James. 

Thursday nights game was the first time the two met on the hardwood quickly became a parlor game of what did James say to the Southern California product? 

Through the help of an enterprising ready user posted the hot microphone of the language feed, which allowed the NBA on TNT to release the sound of that conversation on last night’s edition of “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia Motors. 

James said to Ball after game, “Find your zone, and just stay (expletive) locked in. The media is going to ask you what I told you right now. Tell them nothing. Just be aggressive every single day. It’s (expletive) white noise to you. That’s all it is. Alright? Let’s go.” 

What is ironic about that postgame chat between a man who will go down as one of the best to ever play the game in James, and the other hoping to reach those heights in Ball is this is the same night James tied Bird as mentioned earlier for the sixth most triple-doubles in NBA history. 

When speaking with reporters at his locker, James said that being in the same company as Bird is humbling. 

“He’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” he said. “Kid from French Lick (Indiana). Boston. He just played until he literally couldn’t play the game no more. He gave everything he had. And for you young guys that don’t know him, they think of Larry Bird as a jump shooter. But, he was so much more than that. He was a passer. He averaged double-digit rebounds. He defended. He took charges. And its just straight up complete basketball player, and me as a small forward, Scottie (Pippen), Bird, Doc (Julius “Dr. J.” Erving), George Gervin, the guys I kind of looked up to being a small forward.” 

James continued by saying, “I’ve always been a fan of Larry Bird, and if I’m linked with any of the greats, especially like him, it’s pretty cool.” 

One of the biggest differences between those greats of the professional hardwood, and todays star players is the 24-hour news cycle. 

When Bird came into the NBA in 1979 with the Boston Celtics, who he led to three NBA titles, he dealt with crazy expectations. He was called in the early part of his career, “The Great White Hope.” There was a major circus that followed him, and “Magic” Johnson into the NBA out of their meeting when Indiana State took on Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament. Then the fact that people did not have faith that Bird could deliver an entire league that struggled to maintain its popularity. There was a time that NBA games were on tape delay. 

When James entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick back in June 2003, had to take on those same expectations, and having to do so during the rise of the internet, and then eventually social media. 

James has often said that he is the most scrutinized athlete in American history, and while he might be right, that will not be true for very long. 

Ball before he even played a single minute in “The Association,” had his own reality show, and his own shoe, “Big Baller Brand.” On top of that, he has 3.6 million Instagram followers. 

“NBA: The Jump,” host Rachel Nichols said jokingly on her show on Friday afternoon that in five years from now Ball will have a chip in his brain which will direct broadcast across the globe. 

“If it exists, you know LaVar Ball (Lonzo’s father) will find it,” Nichols said. 

In the present though, Ball is just another trying to find his way with a very sparkling spotlight magnifying his every move, both on, and off the court. It can be a tough, and sometimes lonely place. The good thing for him is that he has a prime example one of the rare pro athletes like James who have been there, and come out on the other side. 

For those that may not remember, James in the summer of 2010 announced on ESPN to then sideline reporter for “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” Jim Gray that he was leaving the Cavs in free agency to sign with the Miami Heat. 

He received massive criticism from everyone from the sports media, to the fans. Some of those fans in Cleveland even burned his jersey in expression of their anger. 

All James did was lead the Heat, along with Wade, and Chris Bosh in the face of all that to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks, and future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki in six games.

The Heat, and James would battle their way back to The Finals over the next two years, winning back-to-back titles over the Thunder in five games in 2012, and the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in 2013. 

The Heat got back to The Finals in the 2013-14 NBA campaign, but lost to the Spurs 4-1, and in the summer James opted out of the final year of his contract, and returned to the Cavs. 

Since his return, James has led the Cavs to three straight appearances in The Finals, where they defeated the then defending champions the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Finals in seven games, delivering the city their first pro sports title since 1964, when the Cleveland Browns led by Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown won the NFL championship. 

For James, who has appeared in The Finals the last seven seasons in succession, and is looking to make it eight this season, he has had a lot of personal growth in his game on the court as well as his leadership both on, and off it. 

During his MVP seasons in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, and 2012-13, James has average 28.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.4 assists, on 52 percent from the field, and 26 percent from three-point range. 

This season, James is averaging 28.2 points, his most since 2009-10. Career-highs of nine assists, 58 percent from the floor, and 42 percent from three-point range. His 8.2 boards per game is the second most of his career. 

James’ improvement in making perimeter jump shots has basically made him flat out unguardable now. Teams before in their attempt to slow James down was to give him space, and make him shoot from the perimeter, that is not the case now, and should give any critic of Ball, and his 33.2 percent from the floor, 26.5 percent from three-point range, and 48.6 percent from the free throw line pause. 

James is someone who put the time during the off-season to improve the areas that needed to be worked on, and we have seen from his rookie season to today that improvement. 

If Ball is willing to put work in, he can be as good a player as James, if not better. We have seen in flashes that he can put the ball in the whole, as well as his ability to make an impact on the game in other areas. 

On Oct. 20 in the Lakers’ 132-120 win at the Phoenix Suns (9-21), Ball had 29 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists on 12 for 27 from the field, including 4 for 9 from three-point range. 

In the Lakers’ 98-90 loss at the Milwaukee Bucks (15-11) on Nov. 11, Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 13 assists, and 12 boards, making 7 of 12 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from three-point range. 

His second triple-double of 11 points, 11 assists, and a career-high of 16 rebounds in the Lakers 127-109 versus the Denver Nuggets (15-13), Ball at 20 years, and 23 days old equaled James as the youngest player to record his second triple-double of his career 12 seasons back. He also equaled his boss in “Magic” Johnson as the only Lakers to have multiple triple-doubles in their rookie seasons. Johnson had seven triple-doubles back in the 1979-80 NBA campaign, where he led the Lakers to their first of five titles in the 1980s. 

The shooting, and lapses of aggressiveness at the offensive end, Lonzo Ball has been solid. Does he have room for improvement? Yes. Does he need to become a better all-around shooter, Yes? Will that happen, only if he puts in the work, and he will get better in time. 

It takes time, and commitment to become great, and Lonzo Ball has the greatest example of that the player he, and the Lakers faced on Thursday night, LeBron James. He put in the work. Look adversity from every angle in the eye, and beat it. If Ball can do that, he has a chance of being that transcendent player, and living up, and cashing the checks his father LaVar seems to write every time he opens his mouth in front of a microphone. 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 12/14/17 8 p.m. contest Los Angeles Lakers versus Cleveland Cavaliers on TNT, presented by State Farm with Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, and Kristen Ledlow; 12/15/17 3 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Ramona Shelburne, and Tracy McGrady; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/4066421/lonzo-ball; and www.nba.com/20171214/LALCLE#/boxscore/recap.