LeBron a marvel in comic-book quest for eight rings
LeBron James’ infamous prediction of “not one, not two … not seven” championships at his coming-out party in Miami two years ago would have been comical if the rest of the country hadn’t taken it so seriously.
Fitting then that Marvel and ESPN have collaborated on a limited-edition comic book to explain how the Heat star will accomplish the unlikely feat. “LeBron: King of the Rings” will be out Friday in ESPN the Magazine’s NBA season preview edition, but you can get a peek of it online.
The highly inventive (farfetched?) scenario tells how LeBron will actually attain his seven titles, culminating in the 2028-29 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers aided by a cast of gray-beards including Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and a 67-year-old Dennis Rodman.
He then secures ownership of the team and moves it to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, in pursuit of ring No. 8. The outcome of that quest will be determined by a SportsNation poll on ESPN.
Along the way on his odyssey, LeBron gets free-throw shooting tips from Rick Barry, learns the art of levitation, wins one title with the aid of 395-pound Eddy Curry and a zombie Shane Battier and another using a hologram version of himself as a decoy. He fixes his chronically cramping quads with do-it-yourself bionics to fashion titanium, nuclear powered legs, which enable him to thwart the bionic arm of Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook.
Perhaps the most comical touch is that the Thunder are the frustrated opponent in each of LeBron’s conquests in the Finals.
CRAIG DAVIS In more than 33 years at the Sun Sentinel, Craig Davis has written about a wide variety of sports topics from baseball to yachting, fishing to triathlons, and also worked as a copy editor and page designer. Recently he reported on local sports, including running, swimming, cycling, equestrian and beach volleyball. He enjoys sports as a participant as well as a spectator, is active in the South Florida running scene plays in the curling club at Saveology Iceplex. This blog offers a glimpse at the business side of sports in the interest of enhancing enjoyment of the games and sporting options as a spectator as well as a participant.
