It's Time to Recognize LeBron as the Undisputed King

With great talent comes great criticism. That's the life of LeBron James in a nutshell. The greatest player on the planet is also the most scrutinized man on earth. When he's not throwing down thunderous dunks, making an obscene percentage of shots he puts up or chasing down guards who think they have wide open layups he's answering questions about why he isn't in the Dunk Contest, deflecting questions about whether or not he's better than MJ and Kobe and still trying to erase the memory of The Decision.

It's unbelievable that a man who averages 27.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game may not be getting his due, but that's also the life of LeBron James. He is the MVP of the 2012-13 season and it's not even close. There is no race because James is that much better than everyone else. He is shooting a career high from the field at 56 percent and his three-point field goal percentage is a personal best at 41 percent. His rebounding totals have never been higher and his turnover numbers have never been lower. He has continued to improve his game and his Miami Heat sit atop the Eastern Conference at 43-14.

LeBron has more than his fair share of critics and haters -- this blog has ripped him on several occasions. It's okay to dislike LeBron. He doesn't have to be everyone's favorite player and he certainly has done things that could turn people off to him. However, it's time to respect James as the best player in the league. He has worked to mend his reputation and his play is so unbelievable that fans are cheating themselves if they choose to be angry at him and not enjoy the show he puts out on a nightly basis.

LeBron's journey with the fans is an odd one and a unique one. He was the man in Cleveland; the chosen son that was supposed to bring the city a title that they were starved of. Try as he might, he couldn't do it alone. James and the Cavs came close in 2007, but that was the only time he would reach the Finals during his time in Cleveland. Despite no title, times were great in Cleveland. LeBron and the Cavs had fun playing the game, going through extensive pregame handshakes and dances and Bron patented his famed powder toss which became a fan favorite.

James was engaging with the media, fans, teammates and opposing players. There was something about LeBron that separated him from Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. Obviously James was and is intensely competitive, but he never let that take away from who he was. At the end of the day he was a fun-loving kid from Akron who wanted to have a ball doing the thing he loved. We were just fortunate enough to go along for the ride.

Things changed immediately though once The Decision was made. James went on national television to announce he was heading to South Beach and he instantly became the NBA's most hated player. Interesting that of all people, we chose to hate on LeBron -- a player who had never had off-the-court trouble and had been so fun to watch in Cleveland. When James failed miserably in the Finals against the Mavericks it was as if the whole world took a deep sigh of relief that the King still didn't have his ring.

Until his championship last season James has been defined by his losses, which is true for many superstars that chase that elusive first trophy. Now, with those demons put to rest, he is playing the best ball of his life and just completed one of the best months in the history of the game. Still, he draws criticism and scrutiny for every tweet, every pregame dunk and every comment made to the media. Let's stop this now.

Great players like James come around once in a generation. There hasn't been anybody this great since Jordan and there won't be anybody this great for quite some time. Nobody can dominate a game the way James can and even on his "off nights" he is a triple-double threat. He is getting back to the fun-loving kid we knew in Cleveland and, as a result, has mended his reputation. Why hate on him now? Fans can only dislike him due to personal bias or because they hold a grudge.

LeBron is in the prime of his career and what he is doing is unlike anything we have seen. It's time to give him his due, respect his game and enjoy the show. He won't be around forever and we won't see a man dominate the game like this for a while. James, like anybody, has made mistakes, but they are minor ones at that and he has taken the necessary steps to repair his image. Now it's up to fans to recognize greatness when it's right in front of him. There's only one King. Time to give him the respect he deserves.