I went to Game 3 last night of the Wizards-Cavs series and was indeed a witness to the legend of LeBron James. I'm glad I showed up...because LeBron didn't. The King scattered 22 points over four quarters and proved irrelevant in the 108-72 pounding the Cavs took from the Wiz. Now, I really like
LeBron James. I love watching him play and I think all the hype is absolutely deserved. That's why I sat silent last night while the entire crowd around me chanted "Over-rated!" Overrated? LeBron James? Wow. Also, LeBron sat out most of the fourth quarter. Now, I realize the Cavs were pretty much destined to lose this game, but how do you sit the only great player on your team during a playoff game? I know you want to keep him fresh, but the Cavs without LeBron can't beat Oral Roberts let alone the Wizards. If you're Mike Brown, you at least have to give your team a chance to win.
Washington - the city and the team - took their game to the next level last night. I have been here almost six years and that was the most I've ever seen this city into a sporting event. The entire stadium wore white (free shirts from the Wiz!) and got into every aspect of the game. I've been to three other games this season (Nets, Knicks, and Jazz) and every time, I felt like I was at a golf course - polite clapping, quiet murmurs, and the "corporate box" attitude filled the air. Where were last night's fans all year? The whole crowd boo'd whenever LeBron touched the ball and cheered even louder for the Wiz than they cheered for the old man doing the sprinkler dance on the jumbotron. This is rare for Washington - cheering that is, not the sprinkler dance. Note: Even though this crowd was awesome, a great DC crowd does not compare to a good New York crowd. Yankees games in April have more spirit than Wizards games in April. Moving on...
The following dignitaries were in attendance: Colin Powell, Bruce Pearl, Adrian Fenty (whom I met
afterwards and was a really cool guy), and Soulja Boy. Soulja Boy did the dance and all that good stuff, but he has actually played a pretty big role in this series. When DeShawn Stevenson called LeBron overrated, LeBron said that was like Soulja Boy calling Jay Z overrated. Soulja took offense, came to the game, sat courtside, and wore a Stevenson jersey. Stevenson, by the way, led the Wizards with 19 points and sunk two long threes late in the game that made the crowd erupt. This may have been the most exciting basketball game to happen in DC since the 2002 WNBA All Star Game. Yes, I had to Google that.
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