The Cleveland star’s greatness created an arms race in basketball, and it has reached its apotheosis in the Golden State Warriors
LeBron James’ basketball career has played out like the story of a comic book superhero, so it’s only fitting that his downfall should have a fittingly dramatic twist: that which he created became that which destroyed him.
James ushered in the modern NBA “superteam” in 2010 (distinct from the past eras of the Lakers in the 80s and Bulls in the 90s) when he signed with the Miami Heat to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. There he won two titles in four years and then returned to Cleveland for a new superteam with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. After losing to Golden State in the 2015 finals, Cleveland bested a mostly homegrown Warriors team a year ago and reclaimed James’ dominance over the league. The Warriors then decided they had to become an even greater superteam to get back on top, so they added Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City and the rest – and the rest of the league – is history. LeBron’s excellence forced Golden State’s hand. He was too good for his own good. And now his team and the entire NBA is being laid to waste.
LeBron is taking questions, but he does not have much patience for this one pic.twitter.com/QfUObUZWM6
Related: NBA finals: unstoppable Warriors beat stunned Cavaliers in Game 2
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