Apologies to King James: You Are Royalty.

I should have posted something last night about LeBron versus the Pistons, but after it was over, Dill, Pete and I just kept rewatching the highlights on TNT and Sportscenter to try and make sure it was real.

It was.

I've not been a big LeBron James backer because he always seemed to coast, never fully living up to the potential that tries to burst through his perfect basketball frame. Well, last night, in some sort of cosmic unwrapping, James let it out and destroyed the Pistons on his own. 25 consecutive points. I know they should have tried double-teaming - triple-teaming! - him more, but I don't think it would have mattered. He would have knifed through all the defenders you threw at him for a monster dunk or just stepped back and shot one of those infuriating fadeaway threes over them (but last night, it would have went in).



LeBron still has one last piece of business to take care of - Game Six back in Cleveland on Saturday night - but if he can pull it off, we'll have the ultimate Individual vs. Team battle in the NBA Finals. Last year Dwyane Wade shook off the best Dallas had to offer, and this year, it might be LeBron doing the same. Apologies to you, King James, for all of the player-hating, but you deserved it.

Now? Nothing but respect. You are the man.

(In case you missed it, here's a couple of Around The Web recaps from Deadspin and TrueHoop, then Bill Simmons trying to put it all into perspective. And of course, FreeDarko. Amazing.)