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"The guy has an unbelievable resume, he's the most unselfish, hard-working guy on the court and if you're a fan of the game, you can't help but love the way the guy plays the game. So here's one way to look at it. Before 'The Decision,' he was one of the most revered athletes' on the planet. After 'The Decision' -- and it wasn't the best way he could have handled that situation, but it's over -- people just, just sort of threw him down the stairs.
"I know what Michael (Jordan) said about playing against your rivals instead of with them. But when I got to Houston and started playing with Hakeem, frankly, I needed a lighter load. I knew I wouldn't have to work as hard.
"With LeBron, the expectations were outsized once he said he was going to Miami," Drexler said finally. "He met those once. We'll find out how much he's got left."
The funny thing about success for guys that good is that it cranks up expectations instead of easing them. What marked Jordan as special is that every offseason, after the cigars were extinguished, the champagne ran out and the trophy was passed around, he went back to work turning a weakness -- left-handed dribble, mid-range jump shots, developing a fadeaway to avoid blocked shots -- into a strength.
It's that trait that Magic thinks will ultimately decide how far James continues climbing the ranks. Noting James was already a deadly scorer, a top-shelf passer and as tough a rebounder as he needed to be, Johnson said his improved post-up game -- following extensive offseason training with Olajuwon -- had already established James as "the most unstoppable force we have in the NBA."
"Before, my biggest knock on LeBron was he was just playing off his God-gifted talent," Johnson said during a conference call before Game 5. "He was just the best athlete. But he didn't play with his head to match that. Now he's playing with his talent and with his head, and wow, watch out. This guy is going to set the league on fire for a long time. ... I know there was an earlier question about how dominant has his performance been. We look to see this from LeBron for years and years to come."
We'd better.
After all, he promised "not two, not three, not ..." well, you get the idea.
[Associated Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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