LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in action against the Washington Wizards on April 2, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Keith Allison)
By Nile Gayle
Bronx Journal Staff
Could the Miami Heat win the championship this year? Lebron James stunned fans when he joined the Miami Heat. The team also signed the former Toronto Raptor’s all-star Chris Bosh and resigned their franchise player Dwayne Wade.
With three of the top 10 superstars in the league, some people think the Heat can beat last year’s Eastern Conference champions, the Boston Celtics, in the playoffs. Some even think the Heat could beat the two-time defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the NBA finals.
I went to the streets to see what Bronxites had to say.
James Famodimu, 23
Student Lehman College
Q: Do you think Miami could beat the Celtics in the playoffs or the Lakers in the finals?
A: “No I don’t because the Celtics and the Lakers have a strong inside presence and the Miami Heat don’t. Bosh has a semi-inside presence but he’s not strong enough to play defense. He can score but I don’t know if he can score on a Kendrick Perkins or Andrew Bynum. That’s why I’m undecided about them.”
Q: People think Lebron couldn’t win in Cleveland because he didn’t have a good team. Do you agree or disagree?
A: “It’s hard to really answer that because Lebron James had good teams in Cleveland. He had good players in Cleveland. If you look at Lebron’s teams like the team he had last year, Delonte West is a good player, Mo Williams is a good player, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a good player, Antwan Jamison is a good player. You have to have certain intangibles for you to win a championship.”
Q: If Lebron wins a championship with the Heat, can he be compared to legends like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?
A: “No because that would be his first one. It takes more than one. To be a great player, you have to prove that you outlasted everybody else for the whole season to do it more than one time. Jordan did it more than one time. Bird did it more than one time. Magic did it more than one time. Kareem did it more than one time. Tim Duncan did it more than one time as well. One championship doesn’t make you great.
Lebron James goes up for shot against China’s Yao Ming, Aug. 10, 2008, in the Olympic basketball game between the U.S. and China. (Eric Draper)
Demetrius Lathan, 23
Music Artist
Q: Do you think Miami could beat the Celtics in the playoffs or the Lakers in the finals?
A: “Of course anything is possible as long as they get their act together. If they play the way they’re supposed to and everybody plays their roles, they could beat any team. They got the firepower behind them. They’ve got the three stars, so anything can happen.”
Q: People think Lebron couldn’t win in Cleveland because he didn’t have a good team. Do you agree or disagree?
A: “I disagree because they made it to the playoffs and the series. They had it went down to the wire. Everybody got to play 100%. He could have definitely done it with the addition of one player or another player starting. They could have made the adjustments and they could have won.”
Q: If Lebron wins a championship with the Heat, can he be compared to legends like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?
A: “He has the ability to play and be considered a great, but just because of the move that he made they’re not going to give him that credit. Because they’re already saying he messed up his legacy, so he not going to get the credit.”
Jordan going in for a slam dunk with his signature exposed tongue. (Steve Lipofsky) Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against the Washington Wizards in Washington, D.C., February 3, 2007 (Keith Allison).
Sebastian Pessoa, 22
Student Lehman College
Q: Do you think Miami could beat the Celtics in the playoffs or the Lakers in the finals?
A: “Yes the Miami Heat has a good team. They’re capable of beating the Celtics. If they play really well in the playoffs, they’re more capable of beating the Lakers too. Lebron really has to show up. Throughout the season it’s been an up and down thing for those two.”
Q: People think Lebron couldn’t win in Cleveland because he didn’t have a good team. Do you agree or disagree?
A: “I disagree. He had a well-rounded team. Good role players that knew what he had to do. At the end of games Lebron passed up a lot of shots and that’s not leader-like. That’s why he didn’t win.”
Q: If Lebron wins a championship with the Heat, can he be compared to legends like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?
A: “No he cannot because this is his seventh season and Jordan had three rings by now. Kobe had one when he was in his second year or so. I don’t think he should be compared to Kobe or Jordan.”
Modibo Kelta 22
Student Lehman College Construction Worker
Q: Do you think Miami could beat the Celtics in the playoffs or the Lakers in the finals?
A: “Anything is possible but its going to be real tough. Not this year though.”
Q: People think Lebron couldn’t win in Cleveland because he didn’t have a good team. Do you agree or disagree?
A: “I agree. I think the Miami Heat, they have a better chance there. He’s got a winning structure and he’s got Dwayne Wade as a mentor. I think he has a better chance in Miami Heat because there’s already a franchise and structured built over there.”
Q: If Lebron wins a championship with the Heat, can he be compared to legends like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?
A: “No. I think he has to be in the game for a long period of time. He has to have some form of structure and personality as Jordan and all the great people.”
Elvis Boansi, 20
Student Lehman College
Q: Do you think Miami could beat the Celtics in the playoffs or the Lakers in the finals?
A: “No I don’t think so because they lost twice to the Celtics and there’s no way they’re going to make it. The Celtics are going to beat them.
Q: People think Lebron couldn’t win in Cleveland because he didn’t have a good team. Do you agree or disagree?
A: “I agree because of the team members he had. You can see what’s happening right now. They can’t play. There just not that good.”
Q: If Lebron wins a championship with the Heat, can he be compared to legends like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?
A: “I don’t think so because he has Wade and Wade is pretty good. Michael had Pippen, but he wasn’t that good like Wade so I don’t think so.”
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