'National Michael Day' Returned My Heroes To Me

CLEVELAND - Whenever I become a fan of someone or something, that relationship lasts forever and becomes ultra-intense. Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan are both all-time treasures of mine, and after long hiatuses from their brilliant craft, they both returned to me 8 years ago today.

I called it, "National Michael Day."

It was October 30, 2001, just seven weeks after the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that both of these legendary men returned to their public. In Jackson's case, he'd gone six years without releasing an album, and 10 years without releasing a complete album of new material. Dangerous, his 1991 opus was the last original work he'd released. 1995's HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I was a double disc set that featured an entire disc of his greatest hits. But on this day in 2001, his 10th solo album, Invincible hit stores. It received many negative reviews from critics, but it was a very good album in my opinion. Of course, many would call me biased, but this may help that perception; I felt that it was a bit uneven and loaded most of its best songs on the first half. I rarely even listened to the second half.

Jackson, at the time 43 crafted more soothing and sonically brilliant ballads on that album than anything he'd done since 1979's Off the Wall. He had an updated sound on the album, and sounded very confident of his still incredible abilities as a world-class musician. The record's lead single, "You Rock My World" had been my favorite track since it hit radio the previous month. To me at that time, it was just refreshing to have the reclusive icon back in the saddle after so many years away.

The same can be said about Jordan.

Basketball hero turned exalted deity, Jordan played the first non-Chicago Bull game of his NBA career on this night. After a masterpiece finish to his career in June 1998, Jordan retired seven months later. A year after that, he became President of Basketball Operations for the lowly and clueless Washington Wizards much to my bewilderment. Beginning in March 2001, tantalizing reports of his possible return to pro hoops began surfacing in the media. They were soon confirmed and on September 10, 2001, MJ made the official announcement of his utterly shocking decision to play for those same horrible Wizards. Needless to say, I was both delighted and disgusted that he'd willfully "taint" his luminous legacy, especially at a very ripe 38 years of age.

Jordan's Wizards opened the season that October 30th night in a matchup with the New York Knicks. Since the game was played a short distance from where the World Trade Center's destroyed remains still smoldered, Jordan visited Ground Zero and paid tribute to the thousands who lost their lives. He soon announced that he planned to donate his entire $1 million salary that he was to receive for playing the 2001-02 season to the WTC charity.

Many don't realize it, but Jordan was born in Brooklyn, NY.

In the game, Michael looked woefully out of sorts. Even though he hadn't played in a very long three and a half years, us fans expected his trademark aerial artistry to rear its beautiful head. It didn't. He scored just 19 points on 7-of-21 shooting, but his floor game was outstanding. He contributed 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in 37 exhausting minutes. The talk of the night wound up being his miss of a three-pointer with 18 seconds left that could've led to a win. Instead, the Knicks rode Latrell Sprewell's 28 points to a 93-91 victory.

Even though Michael Jackson didn't returned to his accustomed heights with Invincible, it was still an incredible joy to have the man back on the radio with new material. And even though Michael Jordan was past his sizzling prime of basketball dominance, it was beautiful to watch him perform his occasional magic and have a vintage performance of unstoppable precision. Even when he was less than stellar and his team was suckish, Jordan was a marvel to witness. You could see the raging inferno of intensity and drive in his eyes.

"National Michael Day" may have been an unofficial holiday, but for me that day will forever represent pure genius and another chance to fall in love again.

Twice.

For Diminutive Robinson, Ain't No Mountain High Enough

CLEVELAND - The Slam Dunk contest used to be a wildly popular showcase for some of the NBA's elite to showcase their athletic prowess. Then it became a joke that most stars avoided.

Except for the past two years.

Last night, super small Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks won his second dunk title in a contest so riveting that it prompted Cavaliers superstar LeBron James to "preliminarily" declare himself a participant in next year's contest.

Sheeeesh!

Robinson, a solid player but certainly no star is only 5'9" in height. He defeated last year's winner, MVP candidate Dwight Howard by ironically and unbelievably jumping over his 6'11" rival to complete his miraculous, clinching dunk. Howard earned himself a place in dunk contest lore at the 2008 event by assuming Superman's identity, complete with cape and swagger. When Howard furthered the Superman theme last night by changing into his cape inside a courtside phone booth, Robinson later went as far as donning a green Knicks uniform and shoes while using a green basketball to act as kryptonite.

With Howard's cooperation, it worked brilliantly.

I was genuinely thrilled and impressed with the creative theatrics provided by the two finalists. They rendered the two other participants, J.R. Smith and Rudy Fernandez irrelevant and nearly unmemorable. Howard's selfless allowance of Robinson to use him as a prop was inspiring. Without it, he would've won his second straight title especially after his outstanding dunk on a 12-foot hoop that was wheeled out to the court.

The contest wasn't as legendary as the 1988 showdown between rival superstars Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, but it may have done something just as important. It inspired James to take to the skies next year, which could also draw out other major superstars to join in.

For that, we owe Robinson and Howard a debt of gratitude.

James Needs To Get Over His Ego

CLEVELAND - I am an enormous admirer of Cleveland Cavs superstar LeBron James. He is, in my estimation, the best that the game of basketball has to offer.

But he needs to get over himself.

James, 24 at month's end was a wunderkind from the time he first picked up a basketball. In high school, his unusual brilliance drew professional players to his games, which were actually broadcast nationally on occasion. He was driving an $80,000 Hummer as a high school senior and was signed to a shoe deal worth more than $90 million by Nike Inc. before he ever played an NBA game.

Given those facts alone, it is easy to understand why James feels a sense of entitlement. The man has been called "King James" for years and dubbed "The Chosen One" beginning in 2001. During this past summer's Olympics in Beijing, it was announced that a European team would pay him $50 million for one season of his services, plus other lucrative perks. Currently, his already gargantuan ego has been fueled by the highly anticipated summer of 2010 when the basketball megastar becomes a free-agent and can sign with whomever he wants.

He's been eating it up.

Teams such as the New York Knicks and the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets have been said to be the frontrunners in the "James Sweepstakes." The Knicks just shipped off a slew of players, including star Zach Randolph in an early effort to clear salary cap space for James. Hip-Hop legend and close friend Jay-Z is a part owner of the Nets and has a huge influence over James. Many Cavs fans have expressed fear that the allure of playing in a bigger market may sway James' decision and send him to one of those markets.

It wouldn't surprise me. 

LeBron has made recent comments that have been both brutally honest and stunningly selfish. He maintains that there is no loyalty in the NBA and that he is keeping his options open. He tries to make it seem as if winning championships are the most important thing, but choosing between Cleveland (which has consistently improved every season since his 2003 arrival) as opposed to a hastily assembled new team with no chemistry seems like an obvious choice if he's truly about winning. He's already rich beyond belief so money should matter less.

Right?

During the past two years, his affinity for The Big Apple and their sports teams has become palpable. Even Nike releases "special edition" versions of his basketball shoes every so often for release only in New York. Last week, the surging Cavs visited Madison Square Garden and the fans were instructed to cheer James early and often!

Say what?

LeBron continues to behave as though this is the way to conduct business. He seems to be dangling a coveted carrot in front of Cavs management enticingly only to yank it away at the last possible moment, never with the intent to part with the carrot.

Look, I understand the business side of this whole thing. James needs to do what is best for himself. It is just annoying how he is going about it. If this is a clever attempt to force the team's front office to make key moves to ensure that the team remains highly competitive, it would normally be very shrewd. Problem is, he's not being very smart. When NBA great Charles Barkley criticized him last week and advised him to "shut up," James responded by getting defensive and called Barkley "stupid."

Hey LeBron, Barkley was right.

With the Cavs playing so amazingly awesome (14-3 record thus far), James' comments don't matter as much as they would if the team were struggling. Even still, he should let the obvious be the obvious (management needing to keep him surrounded by a winning supporting cast) and just shut up and play.

His mouth isn't as talented as he is.