Can we talk about Dwyane Wade?
Can we talk about him without beating around the bush, and come out and say that, yes, he is the Second Coming?
Kobe? Naw. Kobe's Rich Little doing a poor MJ impersonation, adultery included. VC? Great second season; it's been downhill since. Plus no one likes a pussy who doesn't play his heart out even when no stakes are involved. Give Wince a season or two of losing (and losing some more, and some more) in Jerz before he reverts back to the guy we came to know as Air Can'tada. Schadenfreude will be sweet, I guarantee.
Lebron? I'm not ready for that one yet. I don't want to go there. Ask me in a year or two. Lebron right now is still more tentative than Wade. He shoots the 3-ball better, but his drive isn't as smooth as DW, his J not as pure. But he's 3 years younger. Perhaps if 'Bron played a year or two in college and they were closer in age we could critique them fairly. But we can't. The fact is that Wade, in his second season, is simply the better player. Barring an injury on either side, it's going to be fun watching them both and debating who's better.
But nowadays LBJ is making moves off the court, not on. Right here and now is Wade's moment, and he's showing the world what he's made of. That turnaround, fade-away jumper with 2:45 on the clock brought back memories.
I'll say this: I love b-ball with the very soul of my being. I'm an admirer of the finesse of the game first, a fan second. I've rooted for Penny, Kobe, Vince, T-Mac et al to step up and take the helm, because I love good basketball. Those guys (yes, even though I hate the guy and wish him heaps of ill will, VC included) are the elite players of the league.
But Dwyane's better. His decisions are better, his shot smoother; his demeanor is better and gives us fans a better idea of what his priorities are and what really matters (winning, not tearful interviews with Jim Gray, in case you haven't noticed); and, barring a serious injury, here's hoping the Savior keeps taking it to new heights. To new levels.
That's what MJ did, and what none of his once-believed-to-be successors have done.
Until now. Game on.
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