DO YOU KNOW YOUR HEROES?

I have always been amused by discussions about the "second coming" of Michael Jordan. As I remember, there was Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant and others not worthy to mention. Fact is, Michael stands alone...some have made an impression but others have fallen woefully short. There is no heir apparent - there can be only one Michael...period!

Heir apparents aside, I watched on Television an interview with that "Zillionaire" kid of Basketball fame - Lebron James. For someone just 21 he certainly has a lot of maturity and oh yes...he has game, lots of it. The thing that impresses me most, however, is his feel for the game and his knowledge of the "Great Men"...great basketballers who came before him.

This, of course, reminds me of another guy - Michael Jordan...the same guy we spoke about earlier. When he came into the league, you got the same feeling. He had an exceptional feel for the game and also for heroes past. This seems to be a common thread among successful sports stars (and successful people in all walks of life).

It is has always been said that to go forward you need to know your past. It helps us build character and molds us into who we are. Unfortunately, when it comes to Country its just as important...but it seems this knowledge...sometimes very painful knowledge is always getting us into trouble as a result of intractable positions...positions that lead to the inevitability of war. In sports, however, knowledge of the game, of the past, of the men who excelled, are key ingredients.

They help us set goals, it establishes the boundaries of what is possible from what is not possible, it nourishes the sometimes nebulous concept of visualization, it serves as a great motivating force...a force necessary to achieve what man has done and more. Afterall, talent is important but as another saying goes, the harder one works the luckier they become...something to that effect.

The 2006/07 Basketball Season is still in its infancy but Lebron has already shown his class, continuing to build on his growing reputation like "men of yore" - men like Larry Bird, Julius Irving, Michael Jordan. Only time will tell if history will smile on Lebron James but one thing is sure: his impececable knowledge of the game and the heroes...the idols he adored certainly put him in good stead.