So here you have it: A Tale of Two Tapes. One of Albert Pujols, and the other of LeBron James.
Do you see a difference? If you've been keeping up with Sports like I have, I'm sure you would know. But, just in case, I might as well inform anyway.
To the left of me is Albert Pujols, celebrating his second World Series Victory, with fellow Cardinal teammate, Lance Berkman. He looks quite joyous and teary-eyed doesn't he?
On the other hand, you have LeBron James. He doesn't look so jubilant does he? Of course not. Back in the 2009-10 NBA Season, James and the No. 1 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers were ousted in the Conference Semifinals by the Boston Celtics in six games.
But here's what makes this compare and contrast so intriguing? Both superstars entered the final year of their contracts with their respective teams: Cardinals and Cavaliers. Not to mention, the two superstars played out there final year in different style.
I think it's safe to say that both players kept the media on their P's and Q's throughout. From LeBron's constant hints of "will he stay or will he go?" to Albert's continuous contract dispute that started as far as Spring Training.
How did both handle the upcoming season? Well, LeBron led his team to an NBA's best 61-21 record, meaning if the Cavs advanced to the NBA Finals, they would have home-field advantage. But that was the big IF.
What actually happened was LeBron James came up short - and that's an understatement - following Game 3, where he exploded for 38 points after the media wondered about a possible elbow injury. In Game 4, the Cavs were down 74-72 entering the fourth Quarter. LeBron proceeded to go 1-of-6 shooting in the fourth. Now this was just a small sampling of what was to come the rest of the series for LeBron James.
Next was a critical Game 5 for both squads. Boston was riding on momentum from their Game 4 win. Cleveland, now back at Quicken Loans, was looking to put the series back in their favor. Obviously that didn't happen. Why? Cause LeBron James conceded the fight before it was over.
In Game 5, LeBron went 3-of-14 shooting with 15 points in 42 minutes. One could say great defense was played, but from what I was watching, I wouldn't say so.
Remember the LeBron James who was playing "hot potato" in the NBA Finals for the Miami Heat last season? That wasn't the first time he did so. Throughout the course of the entire game, James seemed to carry a nonchalant attitude about how the game was transpiring. He looked like he had no sense of urgency. He was constantly looking as if he wanted no part of the offense. Long Story Short: He was disengaged. The performance was such an all-time low for LeBron, maybe even a superstar of his caliber, that the Cavs lost 120-88, their worst home playoff loss in history. And what makes matters even worse, then 38-year-old Shaquille O'Neal showed more heart and resiliency as he went 7-of-11 for 21 points in 27 minutes.
Now the Cavs head back to hostile territory for Game 6 in TD Garden. A chance for LeBron James to redeem himself. And despite his monster triple-double of 27 pts, 19 reb, and 10 asts, it was one of the most silent triple-doubles I had ever witnessed (no pun intended). Even though he drilled back-to-back three pointers and cut the lead to four, I still didn't see the will from him. He proceeded to go 1-of-3 the rest of the fourth, and thus, the Cavs were bounced from the playoffs 94-85.
On the flip side, Albert Pujols and his Cardinals fought back and forth much of season for the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers. In the month of August, St. Louis lost touch in the division, as well as, the Wild card---as they fell as far as 10.5 GB. But then came September as Pujols' bat finally came alive, and he had a late stretch of batting .423/4/18. His hot hitting led to his team catching fire and making a serious run at the NL wild card. In that month of September, the Cards won series against the Brewers, Phillies, and faltering Atlanta Braves. Luckily as he cooled off, the rest of the team picked up the slack. Not to mention, his cool-off period began when the Cards were beginning to face teams like the Mets, Cubs, and Astros. The Cardinals could beat them without Pujols in the lineup.
But unlike LeBron James, Pujols and Co. kept grinding. They were able to beat the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies in five. They ousted the Brew Crew in six. And they overcame all odds to best the Texas Rangers in the 107th World Series in seven. Pujols' stat line in the postseason was .353/5/16. His World Series stat line was only .240/3/6.
Although, the difference is, Pujols will be known for having one of the Greatest World Series Performances in MLB History. He bashed three homers in Game 3 at Arlington. The Cardinals took the series lead 2-1 afterwards. In Game 6, he hit a line drive double with one out in the ninth inning while the Cards were down 7-5. If not for David Freese's heroics in the that game , and his Game Seven Performance, Pujols would be your World Series MVP.
The point i'm trying to get across is that Pujols kept it together. With contract disputes lingering in the back of his mind, he tossed that aside and just played his game. Sure he slumped for most of the season, but then as he flipped the switch, so did the team. Now I acknowledge that it wasn't all him, but c'mon, isn't there some validity to this? They were 10.5 GB in the Wild Card and somehow prospered. Albert could've quit on the season the way the Cardinals were going, but instead provided a spark. While LeBron tanks it when his team really needed him. And some will say "you don't know if he quit" and that's true. But I have my reasons.
As a former fan and believer of LeBron, I watched all the games of his as I could. Everybody who knows me know that I was a true blue defender of him. When he failed in the playoffs over the course of his career, I stuck with him because he was giving every ounce of heart he had. That's more than I can say for his debacle in his final year in Cleveland. He looked like a crushed soul who was ready to tap out the second he could. I saw no urgency, resilency, determination, etc in that series from LeBron - at least after Game 4 when the series was tied two apiece. I had never been so distraught at the performances LeBron bestowed upon me and millions of other fans. He disgraced the No. 23 and the honor the number carried. Instead of grinding it out when the going got tough, he bailed out. Not something Albert Pujols did is it? And then after watching Bron on NBA Countdown mention, in 2010, saying how he "would not rest" till he brings a title to Cleveland, this made matters worse for my perception.
Bottom Line: What Albert Pujols did in the final year of his contract is what LeBron James should've did! At least if LeBron still decided to leave, he would've fulfilled his duty. I don't ridicule him for leaving Cleveland; it's just way he did it (and I'm not talking about The Decision either). LeBron James: That is how a superstar handles their business! Point Blank.
Image Credits to http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/images/2010_05_14/nba-celtics-oust-james-cavaliers-in-six-games-2010-05-14_l.jpg and http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/LQzo9xZjFzc/2011+World+Series+Game+7+Texas+Rangers+v+St/CKeOASVDQ8_/Lance+Berkman
All Stats were retrieved from: http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/celtics-cavaliers
http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/playbyplay?gameId=311027124
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/splits/_/id/4574/albert-pujols
http://espn.go.com/mlb/standings/_/date/20110827
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