Riaan Ngosuku lokugcina lukaJanuwari eminyakeni engaphezu kwemihlanu edlule, u-Bam Adebayo wadlula etafuleni lomshayi magoli wangena enkantolo emhlanganweni wakhe wokuqala wasenkantolo no. LeBron James.
Ngaphambi kokuthi ahlonishwe njengehange le-Miami Heat noma omunye wabadlali abahamba phambili abavikela bonke be-NBA, u-Adebayo wayeyi-rookie eneminyaka engu-20 ubudala, engumdlali welotho sekwephuzile ethola amaphuzu ambalwa futhi aphinde abuyele emuva emizuzwini engama-20. umdlalo.
“Uyabheka [at] mina – futhi sonke siyazi ukuthi ungubani. ‘NguBron lowo,’” kukhumbula u-Adebayo. “Kodwa uyathanda, uvele wangitshela konke ngami ngaphambi kokuthi ngingene enkantolo.”
Kulapho u-Adebayo azi ukuthi uhlangabezane nokuthile abantu ababuka nje uJames edlala abasoze bakuqonda, ukuthi i-IQ yakhe phakathi nomdlalo i-encyclopedic.
UJames usezodlala kweyakhe Igeyimu ye-All-Star yesi-19 ngeSonto e-Salt Lake City, abaqhudelana naye kwiligi babuzwa umbuzo owodwa – yiliphi ikhono noma isimilo okudingeka ube nakho mathupha ukuze uqonde ubukhulu bukaJames?
Izimpendulo bezimayelana nomqondo noma umzimba kaJames – inhlanganisela yalaba bobabili abahlanganayo ukuze amenze umshayimagoli ohamba phambili we-NBA ekuqaleni kwale nyanga.
“Noma ngabe yini i-hype, kuyiqiniso,” Umgadli weClippers uPaul George kusho. “Uma sikhuluma ngomfana onesakhiwo sakhe, esingaka, ndiza phansi enkundleni futhi ugxumele ngaphandle kwejimu kanye nongqondongqondo abangcono kakhulu esike sakubona – bekuyiphakethe eligcwele. Futhi ngicabanga ukuthi kwakusembukisweni nje okwesibili umbona eduze, ubuhle bakhe nje enkantolo. “
Umzimba
ULeBron James usedlale imidlalo engu-63 emidlalweni engu-45 kule sizini. Kuyiphesenti elifanayo lemizamo ye-dunks-per-shot njengoba abe nesizini yakhe ye-rookie, ubufakazi bokuphila kwakhe isikhathi eside ngokombono womzimba.
“Uma ngikhuluma iqiniso, kuyajabulisa namanje ukuthi usesimweni esihle kanjani nokuthi udlala kanjani ngokukhululeka,” kusho isikhungo sikaDenver kanye nomdlali ovelele izikhathi ezimbili uNikola Jokic. “Akubukeki sengathi uyazabalaza nakancane.”
U-James cishe ungumdlali ohlakazeke kakhulu owake wacabanga ukukhuphuka kwakhe okuhambisana nalokho kwenkundla yezokuxhumana, ukufinyelela okunwetshiwe kumidlalo ye-NBA kanye nendawo eshisayo lapho impumelelo nokwehluleka kukaJames kwasiza uphethiloli.
Umgadli weCavaliers uLeBron James wenza kube nzima ngomgadli wamaWarriors uKevin Durant ukuthi adlule kuma-NBA Finals ka-2017.
(Tony Dejak / Associated Press)
Kodwa uma ucabanga ukuthi wazi konke, awukwazi — ngaphandle uma ngabe wabelane naye ngenkantolo.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi wonke umuntu uyayazisa i-LeBron kanye nalokho akulethayo etafuleni,” kusho uKevin Durant wasePhoenix. “Ngicabanga ukuthi siyawazi umdlalo wakhe ngaphakathi nangaphandle. Kodwa ukudlala ngokumelene naye, uyaqaphela ukuthi unamandla futhi uyashesha kangakanani. Ngicabanga ukuthi leyo yinto engase indize ngaphansi kwe-radar kancanyana, ukuthi ukusubatha kwakhe kwaba kanye empilweni, esizukulwaneni, futhi angicabangi ukuthi kuyophinde kuphindwe futhi. Lokho yinto ongeke ngempela uyizwe nge-TV, amandla nje namandla adlala ngawo, kukhethekile.”
Ngisho nasembangweni wabadlali abanohlonze, uyinunu.
“Mude kakhulu kunalokho ebengicabanga ukuthi unjalo – mude futhi unamandla ngokuqinisekile,” kusho uShai Gilgeous-Alexander we-Oklahoma City. “Yiyona nto enkulu leyo eyagqama. Mkhulu kakhulu kunalokho ambukela kumabonakude.”
Lokho kuqhuma okwake kwavela kanye nesizukulwane kuhlanganiswe nawo wonke lo sayizi, kwabamba uDamian Lillard wasePortland engaqaphile emdlalweni wabo wokuqala.
“Ngikhumbula umdlalo owodwa owawufana nephasi eliphambana nenkundla waliphambukisa wavele wasuka ngesikhathi sekhefu ngase ngifana nokugijima ngisuka kolunye uhlangothi. Futhi wayehamba ngokushesha nje. Kwaba sengathi bekuyi-dribble eyodwa futhi wayesemoyeni,” kusho uLillard. “… Ngicabanga ukuthi usengumsubathi osezingeni eliphezulu futhi akwenzayo kuhlaba umxhwele kakhulu, kodwa akufani nokuthi kwakunjalo. Futhi lokho akukona ukumlulaza. Ukusho ukuthi kwakuhlanya kangakanani ukuba nomsubathi owenza lolo hlobo lwezinto.”
UGeorge washo okufanayo – ukuthi uJames akayena umsubathi ayesezingeni eliphezulu.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kunezikhathi engxenyeni yokugcina yomsebenzi wakhe lapho uzitshela ukuthi, ‘U-Bron osemncane cishe ubengasusa ukungcola kulokho,'” kusho uGeorge. “Kodwa uma ucabanga ukuthi uneminyaka engu-38 ubudala, uNyaka wama-20, umsubathi asenawo. Wonke umuntu ngesinye isikhathi uyalahlekelwa. Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi nakanjani ulahlekelwe isinyathelo, kodwa unesiphiwo kangangokuthi akubonakali kude kangako [from that].”
Pho ummisa kanjani?
“Mphathe kabi uma ukwazi,” kusho u-Jordan Clarkson ka-Utah ehleka. “Qhubeka nje ungcolisana naye baze bangabafoneli.”
Ingqondo
Iminyaka engamashumi amabili yesipiliyoni se-basketball iholele ekutheni uJames abe nongqondongqondo abahlonishwa kakhulu kwiligi.
“Angicabangi ukuthi abantu bayakuqonda ukuthi uhlakaniphe kangakanani,” kusho uDeMar DeRozan waseChicago. “Mhlawumbe bayazi kodwa umehluko uma ungaphandle umbona enikhetha, ewufunda ewuqonda kahle umdlalo ephuma kwelinye izinga. Lokho kukodwa ngaye okugqama kakhulu ngokuba yimbangi, ukumelana naye.”
Izibonelo ezilula? UJames eqhumisa amasu abaphikisi sengathi uhlangene nabo.
“Muhle njengoba ukhangisiwe,” kusho uJayson Tatum waseBoston. “Usenesikhathi eside edlala lo mdlalo futhi une-IQ esezingeni eliphezulu. Wazi konke okwenzeka kuzo zombili iziphetho zesitezi. Zonke izindaba ezimayelana naye eyazi imidlalo yamanye amaqembu kanye s— kanjalo, ziyiqiniso. U-LeBron muhle njengoba ucabanga ukuthi ulungile. “
Umgadli weLakers, u-LeBron James, uthatha elinye igoli kumgadli weCeltics uJayson Tatum ngesikhathi somdlalo ka-2021 eBoston.
(UMichael Dwyer / Associated Press)
Indlela u-James acubungula ngayo ulwazi ngesikhathi sangempela yagqama ku-Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. kumdlalo wabo wokuqala bebhekene.
“Bekuyindlela abewufunda ngayo umdlalo ngesikhathi sezinguquko. Kwangathi wayeyiveza, etshela abantu ukuthi bayephi ngenkathi edlalisa. Lokho kuyiqiniso,” kusho uJackson. “Ubiza imidlalo ephapheme, efunda. Njengoba edlalisa nje utshela abantu ukuthi bayephi, ubiza imidlalo yeshashalazi, ukhuluma nomqeqeshi, uxoxa nomndeni wakhe. Wenza inqwaba yezinto ngokuphazima kweso.”
Ubuchopho – kanye nebhola – kungagcina kuhamba ngokushesha kakhulu, kusho u-De’Aaron Fox we-Sacramento.
“Ngadlala naye unyaka wami wokuqala eCleveland — angizange ngidlale ngesikhathi beza kuSac — nangendlela abona ngayo umdlalo. Uliphonsa kanzima kangakanani ibhola. Konke kumayelana naye ngokomzimba ngalowo nyaka,” kusho uFox. “Njengesikhathi sami sokuqala ngidlala naye, bekufana nokuthi, ‘Yo, usezingeni elihlukile kunawo wonke umuntu enkundleni njengamanje.’ Indlela ayewubona ngayo umdlalo kanye nendlela ayebusa ngayo ngokomzimba. Kwaba ukusangana lokho.
“… Njengokuthi, uma ungakakulungeli ukuphasa, angase akuphule umunwe. Noma uma uphuze okwesibili futhi ungasiphakamisi isandla sakho, ibhola livele liziphu lidlule esandleni sakho noma lidlule kwesokudla ekhanda lakho. Indlela abone ngayo phansi nangendlela abebeka ngayo yonke into ebholeni, azi ukuthi uzakwabo kuphela ozolibamba yayimangalisa.”
Izimbali
Lapho uJames engena enkantolo ngeSonto, uzobe ekwenza neqembu le-All-Stars elizibonele mathupha ukuthi waba kanjani omunye wabadlali abahamba phambili be-NBA besikhathi sonke.
“Ukungaguquguquki kuyahlanya,” kusho uPascal Siakam waseToronto. “Yinto oyibukela kude leyo. Ukubona nje umuntu ekhona, nsuku zonke, engena futhi ephuma, onyakeni wama-20 … njengokusangana lokho. Ukuba sezingeni ngokungaguquki. Ngicabanga ukuthi kimina, ukubona lokho eduze nje, kuyamangaza – ukuba muhle, ezingeni eliphezulu kangaka, isikhathi eside kangako. … Ngicabanga ukuthi uzokwehlisa ijubane noma nini lapho efuna ukwehlisa ijubane. Sengathi angadlala unomphela. Kubukeka sengathi.”
NgoFebhuwari 25, 2020, e-Los Angeles, ongomunye wabadlali abajabule kakhulu kusukela uJames, uZion Williamson, afaka inkantolo umdlalo wakhe wokuqala bebhekene neLakers. Udlale kahle – amaphuzu angama-29, ama-rebound ayisithupha kanye nokubusa okuningi ngokomzimba.
Umgadli wePelicans u-Zion Williamson ungena enkantolo ngomdlalo wakhe wokuqala ebhekene nomgadli weLakers uLeBron James ngoFebhuwari 25, 2020, eLos Angeles.
(UMarcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
Kodwa uJames – wayevele ekhuluphele.
“Wayena-40,” kusho uWilliamson ehleka. “Kwakungenye yalezo zinto lapho esanda kufika khona – kusukela kwabathathu, kusukela phakathi, ehlasela ubhasikidi – umdlalo wonke usanda kudlala i-basketball emangalisayo.
“Kwaba ngesinye salezo zikhathi lapho kwakufana nokuthi, ‘Yingakho enguLeBron.’
