Dose: The Perfect Element

A lot of folks think that diamonds come from coal, but in reality diamonds are forged many layers beneath the earth where coal can be found.

The comic book hero Superman had a lot to do with this myth as he would regularly smash the little briquettes into shiny objects of affection.

Coal, containing the carbon that makes a diamond, has too many additional impurities that keep it from making the awe-inspiring jewel. It’s the pure carbon well underneath the coal that can survive the intense heat and pressure needed to make a flawless diamond.

We often use the same type of myth to describe elite athletes, saying that diamonds are forged under the great pressure of adversity and that they are, in effect, the coal.

But adversity on its own isn’t going to make an elite-level basketball player with imperfections into the perfect element. It’s the athlete’s ability to steer clear of roadblocks and learn from roadblocks, all while under the intense pressure that comes with being the best that creates the potential for greatness.

Nevertheless, the adversity is cherished as both a rite of passage and firewalk. Scars from the coals provide context for us to measure greatness, a much-needed contrast as we grapple with the lack of real estate on basketball’s Mount Rushmore.

And no player in NBA history has been as scrutinized and demonized on his way to being lionized as LeBron James.

The Association’s first child celebrity, James went from living in poverty to being the most coveted draft pick in league history. As the NBA Illuminati threw themselves at the crown, James was given the title of The Chosen One before he had ever accomplished anything.

Nike, Reebok, and most NBA franchises – not to mention countless agents and underlings – had all bent down and kissed the ring. There was money to be made and before he played an NBA minute, James had earned more cash through endorsements than most players had made in their careers.

Money begets expectations and round-the-year hype raised the bar to levels usually reserved for Finals MVPs.

New Internet and social media would end up washing over the NBA like a tsunami.

More voices, more imperfections. More cameras, more mistakes. More mistakes, more pressure.

Next thing you know you’re chewing on your nails and hanging out with Jim Gray, who probably just hung out with one of the Maloofs (George).

The NBA is a dirty business, even if it is comprised of mostly well-meaning people. The impurities are a fact of life when so much is on the line, whether that is measured in terms of money, fame or the relentless pursuit of being the best.

The ecosystems of NBA Survival 101 – kill or be killed – go all the way from the court to the front office, to Madison Avenue, to the owner’s box, newspapers, blogs and everywhere in-between.

The best of the best are able to stay true to their cores and survive these tectonic pressures. Lesser players – whether they’re physically or mentally deficient – they burn fast as they walk across the coals. And inevitably when a great player finds their way into the fire, and they all do, they emerge as a better player if they survive it.

That’s not to say the journey is easy for the greats. As we collectively turn up the heat, an uber-talented but weak-minded player can get chewed up and spit out by the NBA machine faster than you can say ***Starbury.***

With elite physical gifts and skill in their back pocket, the greats go to the next level with their leadership, basketball study, off-the-court savvy and emotional intelligence. This manifests in all of their decisions, culminating in rare displays of true dominance that most of us have seen just a handful of times.

We have been asking questions about LeBron James and where he stands on these issues for years, to varying and sometimes ridiculous degrees, all while leaving him in the incinerator with the temperature set to ‘x as it approaches infinity.’

LeBron has stumbled at times and at times he has bumbled, but he continues to beg the question of whether or not he can one day be called the best basketball player of all time. Whereas that question was once sacrilegious, we’re seeing it now more than ever.

Now he will probably get a date with torch-bearer Stephen Curry, a diamond in his own right. The Warriors, who don't have a lick of Finals experience, are the most dangerous team we've seen in a while. They hold the edge over the Cavs on paper and in the coaching box. They have the depth and they have the bodies to throw at the King.

Make no mistake, however, this is no David versus Goliath. Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith did a bang-up job on the Splash Brothers the last time out. In that contest James was by far the best player on the court with 42 points in a statement win.

If LeBron can pull this off, it will be because he is at his basketball apex and continuing to grow. It will be because he was pushed down into the smoldering pit of expectations, disappointment and embarrassment, and because he refused to let his imperfections define who he was as a basketball player.

He survived the intense heat and pressure of being the best, and now he's bending the basketball world as an every-night tour de force.

As it turns out, superstar purgatory might end up forging the crown jewel.

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YES, THERE WAS A GAME

The Hawks ran out of gas and the game wasn’t competitive as they got swept by Cavs. Paul Millsap did well to score 16 points with 10 boards and five assists, and news about a potential shoulder surgery sort-of explained some really bad outings for him this postseason.

Al Horford (two points, 1-of-6 FGs) looked like all the dings caught up with him, and Jeff Teague (17 points, one assist) was outclassed by Matthew Dellavedova, most notably in the toughness category. All in all I don’t want to spend a bunch of time bashing the Hawks, as they had a great season and had some tough luck with injuries, not to mention terribleness out of the NYPD.

Kyrie Irving played 22 minutes and looked fine, scoring 16 points with a full stat line, so look for him to start the Finals at full strength. Where he goes from there is a fair question. LeBron dropped a low key 23 points, nine boards and seven assists, Timofey Mozgov played big with 14 and seven to go with a steal and three blocks, and Tristan Thompson was all over the glass per usual with 11 boards to go with 16 points.

J.R. Smith went for 18 and 10 with four treys and three assists, as well as one Instagram taken during the postgame presser that you’ll surely see around. LeBron was in on it (as was Thompson) but methinks LeBron is looking at that camera like a guy that isn’t comfortable throwing a party just yet.

NEWS AND NOTES

Dwight Howard will not be suspended for hitting Andrew Bogut in the face and that’s just basically a load of crap. There’s really no other way to put it. I’d prefer to see him play but anybody trying to say that’s a fair interpretation of the incident is nuts.

Stephen Curry went through mandatory concussion testing two times before he re-entered Monday’s Game 4 and there has been no indication that he’ll miss tonight’s elimination Game 5.