LeBrons Elbow: Why the fuss?

Enough is enough. LeBrons elbow has now surpassed Tommy John's elbow as the most famous elbow in the history of sport.

It all began on the night of Tuesday, April 27th. LeBron "injured" his elbow in the process of the Cavaliers defeating the Bulls in game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, thus clinching the series for Cleveland. LeBron injured his elbow while making contact with Bulls guard Derrick Rose. LeBron visibly showed that his elbow was bothering him throughout the rest of the game, and even had to resort to shooting a free throw left handed (which he missed) in the last minute of the game when Cleveland had the win secured.

Now there are two ways to view LeBrons left handed free throw shot. You could A.) Believe LeBron is sincerely hurt and that he HAD to shoot that free throw left handed because his right arm was in too much pain or B.) Think that LeBron is exaggerating his pain and that he is showboating.

I choose choice B.

LeBron loves the limelight. He wants all the cameras on him at all times. He is a diva and acts accordingly so. LeBron knew before the shot that if he took it left handed, he would be the talk of America for the next week, and he was right. SportsCenter basically cleared their schedule for Wednesdays show and replaced opted to cover "the latest" on LeBrons right elbow. On the front page of nearly every newspaper in America, there was a picture of LeBron and a caption pertaining to his "injury." Hell, the world is so engulfed in the story of LeBrons elbow, that as my friend and sports journalist for The Daily Iowan Brendan Stiles pointed out, THIS exists.

Sorry LeBron, I know you think you're crafty and witty, but you're not fooling me. You might have fooled the majority of the sports world, but you're not fooling me.

Do I believe LeBron James is injured? Yes. Do I believe he is exaggerating the pain? Yes. Do I believe LeBron is a diva and absolutely adores all of the extra media attention he is getting due thanks to the injury to his right elbow. After all, LeBrons elbow has only been described as a "bone bruise." A bone bruise will hurt. A bone bruise isn't fun to deal with. A bone bruise, however, should not completely force you off of your game.

Maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe LeBrons elbow is causing him more discomfort than I believe. Maybe LeBron is hurting more than he is letting the media know. If so, I would urge all Cavaliers fans to start praying now.

If LeBron is actually as hurt as he says he is and his elbow is affecting his play, Cavaliers fans and the rest of the NBA should question his durability.

I know, I know. You're thinking "Question his durability? This is his first major injury of his career and you don't think he's durable?"

That's not what I'm getting at people. LeBron has avoided suffering any serious injuries throughout his career. Until now.

LeBron has never played with an injury this serious before. He doesn't know how to deal with the injury.

Kobe Bryant is considered by many the toughest player in the NBA today, as well as one of the toughest athletes in the world today. Injury after injury, Kobe continues to do his thing, and he does it well. Right now, Kobe has a broken finger that he is forced to tape up for each game. Kobe also has a sore knee. Earlier in the season, Kobe also suffered from back spasms and ankle injuries (although he claims to have ankle insurance).

Even throughout all of these injuries, Kobe has continued to play his game, and he does it well. Part of this may be due to the fact that Kobe has played with injuries before and knows what he can and cannot do when injured. Not to mention, Kobe is thirty-one years old and is in-between his prime and the decline of his career. Even with his injuries and age, Kobe has consistently put up impressive numbers and has helped his team win in the playoffs.

My question is: If LeBrons play is being affected this much by an elbow injury at age twenty-five, what will LeBron be like when he is Kobes age and his body starts breaking down? Kobe has played in 478 more NBA regular season games than LeBron has. Not to mention all of the Olympic competition, playoff games and more that Kobe Bryant has played in during his career.

Kobe's body has MUCH more wear and tear on it than LeBrons. If LeBrons elbow actually is hurting him, it better be severe, or else Cavaliers fans and the rest of the league should be concerned about LeBron not being durable.

If Prince James is struggling with his elbow injury as much as he is, I just can't picture what LeBron will be like when he is in his thirties, and he has played hundreds of more games, and his body is not as strong and durable what it once was.

The last ten paragraphs only apply though if I am wrong about LeBrons injury. I still believe that LeBron is acting more than he is hurt, and he's blaming his poor play on his "injury". Like I said before, I do believe that LeBrons elbow is actually hurt, but I do not believe that the injury is as severe as LeBron is making it seem on the court.

LeBron has won two straight MVP's for a reason. That reason being, he means more to his team than any other player in the NBA. Therefore, Cavaliers fans should be worried, because if LeBron isn't at full strength, the Cavs are going nowhere.