On the day that the accomplishment finally outshined the hype we’re all stuck listening to the lament of LeBron James hatred.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before but LeBron James is the most scrutinized athlete of all-time. Right and before him it was Tiger Woods and before him it was Kobe Bryant. That’s just the nature of the beast. It comes with the apex predator status and as the times change so too do the outlets for scrutiny. But we’re supposed to feel some remorse for a multi-millionaire who brought the hatred of the world upon himself by being an arrogant douche? Please!

LeBron getting angered Tweets from a 16-year-old in in New Jersey has nothing on what Jack Johnson went through. Want to talk about scrutiny? If you know nothing of Johnson and his life then stop what you’re doing and Google the name. FYI – you’re looking for the boxer not the hipster with a guitar.

So now that the King finally has his crown we’re supposed to act as if he’s proven all the haters wrong. Really? I thought he was the most “scrutinized athlete of all-time”. I do remember Kobe Bryant having three rings in hand and all we Kobe-apologists heard was “he can’t win without Shaq.”

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Now I’m putting that on the most scrutinized athlete of all-time because that what’s natural. Right? He can’t win without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Before all the LeBron sentiment comes pouring in like crap beer out of an easy-flowing can with a mini-shotgun hole built in let’s keep in mind one simple fact – James brought this all on himself, literally!

The Decision. Nuff said.

Think about that for a second.

THE Decision.

A man that had never won a title was making THE Decision.

Tim Duncan taking his talents to another city after David Robinson retired. That would have been THE Decision.

Phil Jackson jumping ship mid-dynasty in L.A. to help guide the Boston Three Party to Titletown would have been THE Decision.

LeBron was the one who called his shot by counting imaginary titles then choked when the trophy was in an arm’s reach like a drunken virgin at his first kegger about undo the top on the hottest cheerleader. But we’re supposed to act as if he’s authored a redemption tale with his arrival as a champion. I don’t think so.

The LeBron James hate wasn’t manufactured it was inevitable. When you prop yourself up as “The Chosen One” yet fail to deliver in moments that Sam Cassell was navigating with ease as a rookie then the hate should be expected.

When you announce your arrival to a new place of employment by strutting on stage like an 80’s hair band yet can’t even give it your all when your new coworkers need you most then the hate is already in the mail.

You can miss me with the redemption tale. LeBron might have learned a valuable lesson by going belly-up against Dallas then turning it around by becoming a king against Oklahoma City. I’ll give respect where respect is due. Just don’t expect any sympathy.

The LeBron martyrdom is worse than the hate because like all thinks King James it has been manufactured. You want to talk about redemption? The hatred LeBron’s suffered at the hands of millions has nothing on the hatred Brian Banks suffered at the hands of one.

The hatred of James might have forced him to stay in his massive mansion for a couple of weekends he would have otherwise spent trolling around Coconut Grove. The hatred Banks dealt with robbed him of a decade of his freedom.

LeBron’s redemption is as false as his premature bravado. Most scrutinized athlete of all-time quiets the haters. That’s the headline everyone has been waiting to author. Too bad Muhammad Ali already crashed that party nearly a half-century ago.

The real crime in the LeBron martyrdom is that we’ve lost our sense of history. We forget that the path LeBron has walked is no different than what all the greats have gone through. He just so happened to do so when the sports media exploded like Kirstie Allie at a Vegas buffet. The world put in on James that he was the exception and didn’t need to pay his dues. That wasn’t his fault. He didn’t create the hype. But he and his yes men on the payroll sure bought into it.

So on this day I offer a sincere congratulations to the Miami Heat for being the best team in the NBA this season. LeBron authored one of the great postseasons in the history of sports and for that he has my respect, for whatever that’s worth. Just don’t expect any sympathy.

Do expect more hate. Why? Because that’s what comes with being the “most scrutinized athlete of all-time”. So until someone else puts on that crown of thorns it’s still yours to wear, LeBron. Do yourself a favor and learn from Kobe. Wear that crown with pride then, when the time is right, pass it off as it you never had it on.

Chris Paul wouldn’t have made this team a title contender. Neither would have Dwight Howard. There isn’t one move to be made that will give the Lakers all they need to again get back into the Larry O’Brien hunt.

So the real dilemma Mitch Kupchak is dealing with will be whether or not he can construct a future winner around Andrew Bynum.

Now before we bury KB24 let’s keep in mind that he’s got another two or three quality years left. However each of those years comes with diminishing returns. You’re not going to get a 35-year-old scoring champ capable of carrying a team on his back every night.

So again we came back to Bynum.

As long as Mamba is on the roster this will be his team. That just comes with the territory. However at some point his production won’t be so great that he’ll be able to back his words with awe-inspiring performances.

We all learned first hand what happens when Kobe sticks to his guns by gunning the Lakers in and out of close contests. Not blaming him for all the late-game failures against OKC but let’s just face the facts. That determined-to-a-fault Mamba is the one we’re going to see much more of than the former do-it-all Mamba.

Eventually Mike Brown is going to have to make a much more drastic shift towards making Bynum the hub of the offense. That slowly took shape this past season and should continue into next and the years beyond.

Of course what makes this such a gamble is…well…Bynum himself.

This is nothing like the transition from Shaq to Kobe, a changing of the guard that raised many of the same questions as the Bynum dilemma. Problem with Bynum is that you just don’t know what you’re getting each night.

One evening Drew is dominating with 30 boards. Then he’s barely even making the effort in a close-out contest. Then there are all the maturity issues, questionable comments and general disinterest that have plagued the perception of Drew.

The reality is Bynum is a hard worker that’s put in countless hours to improve each year. He’s got the best offensive post game this side of Tim Duncan, is a defensive force and is still young enough that his best days are ahead.

Then all the questions start coming in: Can he remain healthy? Will Andrew ever emerge as a leader? How much higher does his ceiling go?

Then there is yet another question that we could get an answer to in the coming months: What kind of trade value does Andrew Bynum hold?

It seems likely that Pau Gasol is done as a Laker. He was already traded once so it won’t come as a shock to see Gasol shipped out again. However if Jim Buss is willing to part with his pet project there is a good chance the Lakers can get more in return for Drew than Gasol.

Perhaps the best way to get the most of Bynum is by dealing him in order to get players and/or draft picks to help build a future winner. Maybe we’re asking too much of Bynum to become a franchise player. Not everyone with the game has the matching mentality necessary to carry an NBA franchise. If that’s then the Lakers had better recognize that sooner that later. Odds are Bynum’s trade value isn’t going to get much higher. Then again, hoping his maturity concerns will vanish overnight is wishful at best.

Kupchak and company have their biggest challenge to date in the coming months. Depending on what moves are or aren’t made will indicate which way this team is headed. Staying the course with Bynum comes with plenty of concerns but at least it’s not a situation that will require the Lakers to start from scratch…at least not yet.