The Raging Inferno…

That’s what Barkley termed LeBron James tonight, and though I don’t quite get the reference, from just the literal meaning of the words, its really hard to disagree. We really were all witnesses tonight to one of the greatest playoff performances in the history of the NBA. James was a man on a mission in the 4th quarter and two overtimes. He scored 28 of the Cavs’ 29 final points. He would not let his team lose. Every time the Pistons made a run, LeBron fought them off seemingly by himself. With his team needing clutch baskets at the end of regulation, he drove to the hoop for two thunderous dunks. Three’s over double teams; guarding Chauncey Billups down the stretch; LeBron rose to the occasion like the Great One’s always do. It was like a homage to the Good Old Days. Truly Jordanesque. And I am not one to use that term lightly. I could use 15 different superlatives to describe the performance I witnessed tonight, but it still wouldn’t be enough. So I’ll just say this. Three simple words: Thank You, LeBron. Thank You for putting the spotlight back on the game itself, just when it seemed like Kobe’s histrionics would be all anyone was going to talk about for the next week. Thank You for revitalizing the term Superstar, as we had way too many self-proclaimed superstars before. Thank You for pushing the Pistons to the brink of elimination and therefore allowing the NBA to take one step away from the ratings elimination that a Spurs-Pistons Finals would result in. Thank You for showing everyone that when the game is played the right way, there is nothing more enchanting than a player that is in the mythical place that is the Zone. But most of all, after a mundane Spurs-Jazz series and the defensive slop fest of the first two games of this one, thank you for rejuvenating my love for the game. The World has been waiting for this performance for sometime now. You gave us all a taste in games 3 and 4 but tonight, tonight was a night that fans will talk about for a long long time. It was a sight to see, I mean truly, a sight to see. So Thank You LeBron. Thank You.