The Good Life of a The Custodian

Last night while the game was on, the impossible happened. No, not the fact that the Mavericks came back from 15 down with 7 minutes to go, and no Justin Bieber didn’t grow facial hair.…I’m talking about a Brian Cardinal sighting! Even more so, a Brian Cardinal sighting in the NBA finals!
Risky move by Jim “Rick Carlisle” Carrey considering there are no second chances in the NBA finals. The biggest knee slapper about the whole thing was ABC’s decision to showcase to the world Cardinal's alleged nickname, “The Custodian.” Now I know it’s easy to pick on people when they can’t defend themselves, and I know it’s that much easier when his name is Brian Cardinal, but that’s a low blow.
I have never heard Brian Cardinal being called “The Custodian”, but his career stats certainly defend the pseudonym. In his first three years in the league, Cardinal averaged 5.6 minutes per game, which went hand in hand with his Brian Cardinal leading 1.6 points per game. He then saw a significant skyrocket in minutes played and production, but in recent years has dwindled back down to Earth in regular Brian Cardinal fashion, averaging roughly 3 minutes per game in the last 6 years.
What’s the most remarkable thing about “The Custodian” is that he signed a six-year 45-million dollar contract after averaging a measly 9.6 ppg, making him one high paying janitor. Cardinal made 7.5 million a year to virtually sit courtside to watch some of the greatest athletes in the world perform. So we can joke all we want about the trash man Brian Cardinal, but when was the last time you got paid to sit courtside? And is it just me or does he look an awfully lot like Jason Statham, just a lot less badass? Only in America my friends.

Lebron's Redemption

As the buzzer sounded, there was no celebration, just an embrace between two friends chasing the same dream. Lebron James found Dwayne Wade at half court and took each other in for a brief second, then let go. Something they are going to have to do after game one’s victory because the NBA finals don’t play favorites, ask the 2005 Dallas Mavericks.

The world was Lebron’s oyster last offseason, from Los Angeles to New York, the nation wide concert tour LeChella eventually settled on the beautiful beaches of South Beach, monopolizing the NBA by joining forces with another franchise player in Wade and adding a yearly All Star in Chris Bosh. Lebron’s reputation was tarnished the most. Dwayne never left his team, and Chris Bosh didn’t hold on hour long special to leave the only city he’s ever known. Seconds after his “Decesion”, Lebron babies began their destruction for the ex-Hall of Famer by burning his jersey to ash.

Lebron has since been embarrassed, been ridiculed, been the villain, but Lebron is now three victories away from erasing any memory that he ever wore a Cleveland Jersey.

Much more serious scandals in sports have tarnished a Hall of Famer’s name, only to have it became an ominous afterthought after winning the ultimate prize. Kobe Bryant isn’t heckled anymore about the rape trial after his latest two titles, steroid using baseball players have fans look the other way when records are shattered, but Tiger Woods has yet to win a serious golf tournament and we ALL know what he did.

Scottie Pippen has already come out to say Lebron is the greatest basketball player of all time. When it’s all said and done, when the dust settles on his multiple championship rings and we look back on his nightly triple-double near statistics, the conversation will definitely take place in many bars throughout the world. But to get there, Lebron needs to do what he knew he needed help to do, win that ultimate prize. Sure he already has two regular season MVP’s under his belt, but Jordan has five and Kobe has one, yet the two are still put on the same pedestal. That is because the number everyone compares are the amount of rings each player could put on their fingers.

In that regard, Jordan’s at six, Kobe’s at five, and Lebron is still at the beginning of the race with zero. But before the season started, Lebron had already talked about not wining five, not six, not even seven titles. Ironically, in the video, the information box lists Lebron’s claim as a bit “too overconfident”, and although Lebron and Bosh only signed a 6 year contract, after being three wins away from winning there first title together in their first year, the claim doesn’t seem so ludicrous anymore.

Lebron has seen and witnessed it all, all except winning on the final stage. Through all the criticism, through all the scrutiny and through all the hate, winning may not be everything for most of us, but for Lebron, right now in his career and in his life, it’s the only thing.