Nike doesn’t even dare to challenge Roger anymore.
Considering the dominance of the New York Knicks in the East, as long as the Cavaliers can win one ga in the series, Nike would find a way to turn LBJ into the 2001 version of Allen Iverson, a lone hero revered despite losing the match.
However, you never know what surprises LBJ might bring.
The unexpected happened to Nike in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
LeBron Jas, the top pick from the 2003 Platinum Generation, lost in the Ga 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Orlando Magic, led by Tracy McGrady, Baron Davis, and Dwight Howard, despite the overwhelming 23VS3 promotion.
This was absolutely a major upset of the century.
In the public’s eyes, Tracy McGrady was just a data-driven star, an injury-prone glass man who could not sustain or achieve greatness.
Dwight Howard was still very young.
Baron Davis was at best a fringe All-Star.
The three of them were naturally much stronger than ordinary players, but their star quality wasn’t high enough.
Yet, the highly praised LeBron Jas by Nike lost to these three.
You can imagine how unexpected this result was, akin to Carlo Anthony leading Andre Miller and Kenyon Martin to defeat Kobe in the West.
Nike originally had full confidence in this series, believing that the only team in the East that could suppress the Cavaliers was the Knicks.
They didn’t even consider the Detroit Pistons a threat, as this was no longer the Dark Defense Era, and the Pistons’ ceiling was far too low to dominate the East.
Nike considered the Knicks as the Cavaliers’ only rival in the East and successfully convinced everyone else to think the sa.
But when Jas’ performance and Nike’s marketing were so vastly different, their promotion backfired on themselves.
Half-ti champagne is nectar for the strong but poison for the weak.
Just a sip is enough to cause collapse.
The result of this series inadvertently elevated the status of McGrady and Howard, stars of Adidas, boosting their reputation by a tier.
Nike believed their standing was only highlighted thanks to their rivals, but in reality, it was mutual.
Most annoyingly, Nike couldn’t suppress McGrady and Howard in the dia.
They couldn’t be too strong, but they had to be strong, otherwise LeBron losing to them was too embarrassing.
LBJ thus ended his first playoff journey. The Eastern Conference semifinal result was not glorious for a team deed to threaten the Knicks’ status.
Of course, in the dia’s view, none of this was Jas’ fault.
It was Larry Hughes’ fault, with horrendously low scoring efficiency in the playoffs. Even if he’s not adept at shooting, he must space the floor for LeBron and bear the responsibility for missing shots.
It was Andrei Kirilenko’s fault, even though he averaged 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocks in the playoffs, an average of 15 points wasn’t enough.
It was even Kurt Thomas’ fault, because he was too old. If Kurt Thomas had been performing at his level during the Eagle Period, LeBron would have definitely beaten Howard.
LeBron? He really did his best.
Don’t ask why the Nike marketing team only knows this trick, it’s because their marketers can’t think of any better ways.
The world is a massive makeshift setup. If the NBA officials can mistakenly report a 90 to 0 score during a national broadcast, then Nike’s marketing team can also crazily nest dolls without a plan.
Over the past two years, this "teammates CBA" rhetoric had so traction.
But now, people are fed up with such clichés.
From Michael Jordan to Michael Reed, then to Larry Hughes and Andrei Kirilenko, Nike’s propaganda of shielding Jas while belittling his teammates has beco annoying.
Charles Barkley rcilessly mocked on the post-ga show: "Looking back now, LBJ’s claim to battle the Knicks to the death sounds like a pornstar’s claim to save herself for a future husband."
Bill Simmons’ comnt was more civilized and humorous: "Look at Gary, he’s already found the perfect path to success for LeBron: if you can’t beat them, join them."
After the Warriors defeated the Spurs, many dia outlets joked about Payton: "His smart choice to join after failing to beat them ensured his successful revenge against his old team."
"If you can’t beat them, join them" beca a famous phrase in the basketball world a decade early.
Of course, fans are just playing with s on internet forums and have no issue with Gary Payton’s decision itself.
Yes, he was once a superstar, competing against Roger on the Finals stage.
But now, he’s just a 38-year-old veteran who scores 14 points a ga at most as an outburst.
His choice to join any team with a shot at a ring is normal.
So, when Bill Simmons uses this phrase to mock LeBron Jas, it carries a deeply ironic tone.
Mocking Jas’ only chance at success during his pri was to emulate Payton.
Of course, no one takes this seriously either. Although the contract extension issue between Jas and the Cavaliers is causing a fuss, just like joking about Gary Payton, Bill Simmons is just playing with a .
Reviews
All reviews (0)