May 15, 2010 – For seven years, since LeBron jumped in his first Hummer, it’s really only been a beauty contest. As Magic Johnson is so quick to point out and constantly repeat: “LeBron, Dr. J handed the mantle to Larry and me, we handed it to Michael and he handed it to you and Kobe.” The trouble with this always self-serving line is that Magic leaves out Kareem and Shaq and others and LeBron is the only one without a championship. Even if it were a beauty contest, Michael would be first, Kobe second, the tall, dark and handsome Dr. J, not the Afroed version, would be third. The early Magic with that smile, not the current bloated version, would take fourth, and LeBron and Larry Bird would have to fight it out for last place.

So after seven years, LeBron stands in Quicken Loans Arena and looks up to see his image endorsing products. He looks down and sees his own brand of shoe. He looks sideways and sees a filled arena around where once Ted Stepien sat (not literally). He is a six-foot-eight, 250 pound unique product of nature. He can move and shoot and jump and for this he has been rained upon with glory and riches. He’s allowed to throw talcum powder in the air. He can choreograph his teammates to act like fools for photo ops. He can demand a supporting cast from his owner. He just can’t win.

So, we continue the beauty contest as LeBron gains his freedom and everyone hangs on his every word about where he will play next year. File this with the Brett Favre story. Because after the tease, he still can’t win.

He’ll be emotionally tied to Ohio, where he should stay, and having now learned how to be a good sport, work hard to win one for the Clevelanders. But according to him, he’s only had three bad games in seven years and his elbow hurts, so you get the feeling we have a bit of a diva here. And with divas, you just can’t win.

So he’ll take control, the same control he was given when he left high school and by luck, ended in his hometown. He’ll consider if playing with DeWayne Wade will get the task done. Or whether he’d be better off with a point guard like Derrick Rose handing it to him. He’ll consider New York, first with the Russian owner’s money and Jay Z and Beyonce on the sideline and Brook Lopez banging and Devin Harris dishing and a prime number one draft choice chipping in. Or maybe he’ll have to take control of the Knicks and tell Mike D’Antoni how to coach, Donnie Walsh who to bring in, James Dolan how to spend his money and Spike Lee how to sit.

Now that he’s lost again, somebody will certainly ask and try to figure out whether he’s worth it. It is not a beauty contest. It’s a team game, and despite what Magic self-serves, there were dozens of supporting players and coaches that really factored in winning those championships. Both versions of the Showtime Lakers contained a solid supporting cast as well as Riley and Jackson. The Sixers with Cheeks, Malone, Toney, Bobby and Caldwell Jones, the Bulls with Pippin and Longley and Rodman and Paxson, and the Celts with McHale, Parrish, JoJo White, Dennis Johnson and Ainge, all played larger factors in the wins, then the MVP performances.

Somebody tell LeBron and Magic. It’s a team game, not a beauty contest.