Random notes: Miami Heat, Lebron, Hernandez and Serena Williams

LBJ blocks Splitter

While certainly enjoying last week's NBA finals -- shout-out to LBJ, D-Wade, Bosh and crew! -- I am somewhat sad that my sports excitement is over until NFL pre-season.

Sorry, baseball does not do it for me -- not to mention my lack of enthusiasm for tennis, soccer, Nascar or golf.

But here are some random summer sports notes:

Miami Heat

They are officially in the NBA history books as one of the elite few teams with back-to-back championships. LBJ and Heat critics, or dare I say haters, have been silenced. "He can't hit the big shot or rise -- a la MJ -- to the moment of greatness" are all proven wrong.

While Lebron has a long journey before being placed in the same sentence as Michael Jordan, he is in the conversation: At this stage of their respective careers, LBJ's and MJ's numbers are eerily similar. Before you smirk, watch the video: LBJ vs. MJ.

But for me, a transplanted Heat fan -- I got fam in Miami -- the added satisfaction was watching ESPN's resident LBJ hater, Skip Bayless, a die hard San Antonio Spurs fan, eat crow live on his ESPN First Take show.

I am a bigger LBJ fan than I was a MJ fan. MJ had a heart of a champion -- not doubt. He could be ruthlessly efficient when destroying his opponents. Game on the line: Mike was money in the bank. His will to win was second to no one who has ever played any sport.

On the other hand, LBJ is a physical beast (Champion heart: ditto). He can play all five starting positions and do it at an elite level. He, by nature, is a pass first shoot second type of player. He enjoys making the entire team better and integral parts of the winning process. And he is fun in a big kid type of way. Check out the teams Harlem Shake video for further proof.

Aaron Hernandez

The N.F.L. player Aaron Hernandez was charged Wednesday with the murder of Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semipro football player who was found dead on June 17 in an industrial park within a mile of Hernandez’s home.

I am no New England Patriot fan. No, I loathe the Patriots. But never, never do I wish the tragic last nine days on anyone. A young man was killed and another young man is in danger of losing his life for all practical purposes.

Hernandez's fall from grace is disturbing on so many levels:

1. Yet another young athlete with millions of dollars and fame recklessly and needlessly making terrible life altering decisions.
2. Most of the time, your boys from the hood need to stay in the hood.
3. What's up with this gansta profiling by pro athletes: it's sort of like athletes living out some wack rap video,

Serena Williams

Ms. Williams has taken a great deal of heat and backlash for the following comments:

Last week, Serena Williams made headlines with a new Rolling Stone profile, and not in the way she intended, when she commented on the Steubenville rape case. “I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you: Don’t take drinks from other people,” Williams told the magazine. “She’s 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember?” Williams said in the profile. “It could have been much worse. She’s lucky.” source

I certainly can see how folks found the comment insensitive -- implying that the victim is at fault -- but please do not overlooks the wisdom in her message: "Young women please be careful in the who, what, when and where that you party with."

I am -- not for a minute -- not holding the young pigs accountable for their actions: however, there are steps we all can take to decrease our chances of being victimized.